Rapid Reactions: responding to breaking news. The demands of the 24-hour media machine mean that news journalists often don’t have the luxury of time to track down the best scientists when a science story lands on their desks, so availability can sometimes win out over expertise. This is where the Science Media Centre steps in. When a story breaks – whether it’s the latest flu epidemic, health scare or a potential nuclear crisis – the SMC persuades leading experts to drop everything and engage with the story, then contacts journalists at all the major news outlets to offer those experts for interviews or immediate comment.
Roundups: putting new research into context. One of the other ways the SMC ensures that the media have easy access to scientists and their views is by offering journalists a variety of comments from scientists reacting to the latest research. This service differs from our ‘Rapid Reactions’ as scientists have time to react before new research is announced, rather than in response to breaking news.
With access to embargoed journals before publication, we can pick stories of most interest to journalists, asking third party experts to provide comments and information to put research into context before it appears in the media. The SMC’s unique Roundups help busy journalists critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of new research, and highlight when studies are very preliminary or display a correlation that should not be read as causation. Equally, when leading scientists are excited about a significant study this can reassure journalists that the study should feature strongly in their coverage.
Scientists comment on power outages across Iberian Peninsula, possibly caused by induced atmospheric vibration. Prof Keith Bell, Professor of Electronic … read more
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and premature mortality. Prof Nita … read more
A study published in Allergy looks at peanut desensitisation in adults with a peanut allergy. Prof Adam Fox, Chair of the … read more
A study published in Nature looks at E. coli strains and an association with increased colorectal cancer rates. Professor Trevor Graham, Professor of … read more
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at blood pressure control for dementia. Prof David Attwell, Director, BHF/UKDRI Centre for Vascular … read more
A study published in Nature Climate Change assesses temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands. Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme … read more
A study published in Science looks at global soil contamination by toxic metals. Dr Lucie Buchi, Senior Lecturer in Crop Ecology … read more
A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery looks at dementia associated with hearing loss. Prof Jason Warren, Professor … read more
Scientists comment on phase 3 trial results of Lilly’s oral GLP-1 (Orforflipron). Prof Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine/Honorary … read more
A study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters looks at the probability of biological activity on the K2-18 b exoplanet. … read more
A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health looks at the impact of nitrogen fertiliser on pollen allergies. Dr Roy Neilson, … read more
A study published in PLOS One looks at protein consumption and amino acid intake in vegan. Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus … read more
A study published in Trends in Biotechnology looks at lab grown chicken chunks. Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma, Director of the Bezos Centre … read more
Scientists comment on China being approved to access half a million UK Biobank GP records. Rimesh Patel CEng, Former … read more
A study published in Addiction looks at changes in vaping trends in Britain. Prof Caitlin Notley, Professor of Addiction Sciences, Norwich … read more
Climate scientists comment on the ‘State of the Climate 2024’ report, published by Copernicus Climate Change Service and World Meteorological … read more
A study published in PNAS looks at global warming and the intensity of marine heatwaves. Dr Caroline Rowland, Scientific Strategic Head … read more
A meta analysis published in Nature Human Behaviour looks at technology use and cognitive aging. Dr Davide Bruno, Reader in … read more
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine looks at CT scans and lifetime cancer risk in the USA. Lynda Johnson, Professional … read more
Scientists comment on the British Steel factory situation. Prof David Dye, Professor of Metallurgy, Imperial College London, said: How … read more
