The earlier, the better for media relations . . .

So what's one of the first things you should do when you learn your manuscript has been accepted for publication? Call media relations! Gone are the days when there was lots of time between getting that note and seeing your research in print. While some major journals still have firm embargo rules (more on that later) and publishing dates, more and more journals are now posting the material immediately to their web sites as an "advance online publication" or "pre-release." It doesn't leave much time to gather quotes and a summary of the research in layman's terms, and to write and distribute a news release. So the sooner you contact me, the better.

Still, there are some journals that give a heads-up to university information officers to allow lots of time for preparing a news release, as well as video or photographs to accompany it. While each has its own set of rules, they generally allow the university to send out a release "under embargo" to trusted journalists a week before the embargo lifts. This allows the researchers involved to do interviews ahead of time, and provides time for journalists to work on their stories so they are ready to go as soon as the embargo is lifted.

Please don't let the fact that there is an embargo on the work stop you from sending the paper in advance, or from discussing your work with media relations. We take embargoes very seriously and would never break one.

Kathy Wallis
Media Relations Officer
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry