topnaman | Malaria blog

I’m torn about press releases of scientific and programmatic work.

On one hand issuing press releases rapidly disseminates findings, generates interest, and helps reach new audiences. Every institution, whether a university, NGO, or even a multilateral, has to maintain a supportive constituency and most will seek to ever expand this base. The pressure to leverage every piece of potential news is therefore great.

On the other hand many press releases are about early stage findings which may not matter. Everyday I see new articles about malaria drug targets or bed net distribution which are heralded as ‘breakthroughs’ in the effort to cure or control malaria. They may be right but we won’t know for many years. It seems that  the deluge of press releases, which often in their original form or in their retelling misstate the research, unduly raise expectations. It also raises overall noise level of information vying for our attention – making it harder to find and focus on the news which really matters. In the end, too much public relations spin risks credibility.

Effect Measure, a terrific public health blog, wrote the following three years back:

Science is a slow business, unfortunately and we will need time. So I don’t understand why NIH has to issue a press release about it. It’s not exactly breaking news that will make an immediate difference if it makes a difference at all. I understand why various biotech companies pull this kind of PR stunt. They are trying to raise venture capital and reassure stockholders. But why does NIH need to do this?