CSWA workshop: What do Embargoes Mean in an Era of Instant Reporting?

With the rapid growth of the Internet, online news media and social
media, there is a huge temptation for reporters to break embargoes just
to be the first to get the story out first. That’s the theme of a
workshop at the upcoming Canadian Science Writers’ Association
conference, June 5-8 in Ottawa.

What do Embargoes Mean in an Era of Instant Reporting?
By Pippa Wysong

With the rapid growth of the Internet, online news media and social media, there is a huge temptation for reporters to break embargoes just to be the first to get the story out first. Some people feel embargoes are an archaic entity. There are also pressures from editors and gatekeepers to be the first to get the news out.

At the same time, many organizations issue press releases with embargo dates. This timely panel will address what embargoes are, their purpose, and what they mean in an era of ‘instant’ reporting (ie. with various publications pushing to be the first to break the news). At the same time, does something such as a one line Tweet constitute breaking an embargo? There are also various ethical issues, things about accuracy and fairness.

In addition, a lot of people not trained as journalists are creating and posting stories online – are they entitled to get embargoed press releases?

Some people argue the idea of embargoes is becoming dated — there is a range of opinions on the topic.

Tied in with this are issues relating ‘quick reporting’, vs taking the time to check sources and accuracy (we all remember the ‘Gordon Lightfoot died fiasco’, right?).  
 
Four panellists will address various aspects of this exciting topic.

Ivan Oransky is a thought-leader on the topic. He is the executive editor of Reuters Health, and author of a well-respected Embargo Watch blog about embargoes. He is on faculty at the New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute where he teaches medical writing, has won multiple awards, and was senior staff at Scientific American and The Scientist. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook and other online places.

David Atkin, National Affairs Correspondent, Canwest News. On the Hill political blog. David is a former technology report who has a good idea of the communications modalities available to reporters. He faces daily deadlines, along with pressures to get the news out quickly.

Kim Barnhardt  is the head of communications for the Canadian Medical Association Journal (which sometimes uses embargoes). She will address why embargoes are useful, discuss penalties for breaking embargoes and more.

Elizabeth Howell is an award-winning science and technology journalist who also works for CTV Ottawa, meets tight deadlines, and who has a strong online presence.

The session will be moderated by Pippa Wysong, an award-winning science and medical writer who has a wide-range curiosity about everything, including wondering what the online world and journalism is evolving into. www.askpippa.ca

We hope to see you there!

Workshop details:

Monday, June 7, 2010
Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa
11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Is this the end of the embargo? Embargos were designed to give reporters in different media a chance to get the story out at the same time. In the era of ‘instant reporting’, are they under threat?

– Kim Barnhardt, Senior Strategist, Communications, CMAJ
– David Akin, National Affairs Correspondent, Canwest News, On the Hill political blog
– Ivan Oransky, Executive Editor, Reuters Health, blogger: Embargo Watch
Moderator: Pippa Wysong, freelance science writer and children’s author