OFFICE of PUBLIC OUTREACH

News Dissemination Options

Once the news value of a research result is assessed, the news release can be handled in several different ways, commensurate with the data and results:
 

Method	Criteria	Prerequisite	Distribute
Space Science Update Press conference	Major discovery of importance to the general public	- Accepted paper - Release date tied to journal publication	- Television press conferenced, broadcasted over NASA satellite - Press package advanced mailing - E-mail notification (STScI and NASA) - Fax notification (STScI and NASA) - World Wide Web pages - Video file on NASA TV - Video News Release distributed to major television news outlets
News release	Significant science of importance to the general public	- Accepted paper - Release date tied to journal publication or conference presentation	- E-mail notification (STScI and NASA) - Fax notification (STScI and NASA) - World Wide Web pages - Video file on NASA TV - Video News Release distributed to major television news outlets
Photo release	Hubble image of interest for largely aesthetic or educational reasons or image linked to event (e.g., Saturn ring plane crossing)	- No major science announcement accompanies image - Release date is not linked to scientific publication	- E-mail notification (STScI and NASA) - Fax notification (STScI and NASA) - World Wide Web pages - Video file on NASA TV - Video News Release distributed to major television news outlets
Co-release with Home Institution	Significant science but for reasons of resource restraints, STScI is unable to develop a full press package	- Accepted paper or conference presentation - Release date is linked to scientific publication or conference presentation	- E-mail notification (STScI and NASA) - Fax notification (STScI and NASA) - World Wide Web pages

 

 News Preparation Services

• Science Communication

Translation of scientific findings into accurate, complete and understandable press releases and other informational material for the news media and public.
• Image Processing

Enhancement and layout HST of images for reproduction as photographic prints, slides and electronic image files for easy reproduction by news media.
• Science Visualization

Creation of science illustrations, simplified diagrams and video animation of scientific results. OPO/STScI's Astronomy Visualization Laboratory uses state-of-the-art software packages to produce animation showing astronomical concepts that involve temporal changes, spatial relationships or three-dimensional structure.
• Video Production

Preparation of videotaped elements supporting a news release.
• News Coordination

Collaboration with home university press offices to simultaneously issue releases of newsworthy research. If scientific results are being announced at the AAS and/or other science conferences, OPO/STScI's news team prepares all news materials needed to the conference press room. The News Chief usually serves as the contact point for filtering and coordinating media request for interviews, so that the principal investigator and collaborators are not swamped with queries.
• Access to News Distribution Networks

Distribution of press releases to several hundred reporters and science journalists internationally through direct mail, the World Wide Web, E-mail and Fax notification services. STScI, NASA and ESA all provide E-mail and Fax notification services. These latter services are provided to reporters who have requested either faxed or email copies of news releases.
• Education and Public Outreach Dissemination

HST data and information on scientific results are incorporated, as appropriate, into a variety of educational products including slide sets, posters, color newsletters, educational video, OPO/STScI's Amazing Space educational modules, and CD-ROMs. This material also is made available to educators, planetariums and science museums.

News Products

Press package/World Wide Web pages: An assembly of release materials including the news release notice, captioned photo, background information, any illustrations or diagrams, and abbreviated biographies of the principal participants in a press conference. Press packages are mailed to major newspapers and magazines in advance of the release, protected by an embargo date. All press package content is provided as a linked set of pages on the World Wide Web (for an example, see url http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/19/). The news website includes video and animation (as MPEG files) as well as RealVideo and RealAudio.

Video file: Selected video scenes that will be useful to broadcasters producing a news segment, including animation visualizing the phenomena, interviews with principal investigators, images specially processed or formatted for television presentation. The scenes are broadcast over the NASA satellite during their daily news feeds.

Video news release: A short edited videotape similar to a news segment that provides broadcasters with a suggested presentation of the news as well as the video scenes needed to produce a news segment, including animation visualizing the phenomena, interviews with principal investigators, images specially processed or formatted for television presentation. Video news releases, protected by an embargo date, are mailed to major television news outlets in advance of a release to give science editors time to sell the story to news producers and to prepare their news segment.

In addition to news products, OPO incorporates Hubble images into educational products including interactive web resources for the classroom and students, slides sets, posters and educational videos. This material is available to educators, planetariums and science museums and distributed by mail, provided at workshops at national meetings of education professionals
 

Embargo date: The date stamped on all materials provided to reporters in advance of a news release upon which the news may be made available to the public. The date is coordinated with the publication of the science journal where the investigator's article appears.

News Preparation Procedure and Timeline

Once the result is accepted for release, the news chief sets up a meeting or teleconference in which the principal investigator describes the research results to the news team. By the conclusion of the meeting, the news team determines the news products that are necessary to support the release and identifies a timeline for production and review of products. For Space Science Update press conferences, a series of teleconferences that include NASA HQ and GSFC personnel and other participants will be planned spanning the news production cyle.

It typically takes 4-6 weeks to prepare a news release. Therefore, it is important that OPO be contacted well in advance of a refereed publication or conference deadline, and that the OPO news release timelines and scheduled deliverables be honored. The
press release date often coincides with acceptance of the research for publication in a science journal or announcement at a scientific conference. Once a result has been accepted fornews release, it is critical that the principal investigator be available to participate in regular interations of the draft news release and any supporting products, and honor scheduled review dates.

During production, the news chief drafts the news release, iterating it with the principal investigator until both are satisfied that it is accurate and appropriate for the media. At the same time, other news team members are preparing the release image and other news products.Often, an OPO scientist or other designated person will work with the PI and/or  collaborators to obtain the necessary background information for collateral materials necessary for integrated releases.
 

Scientific Review of Release Material

A release goes through the following review steps to ensure scientific accuracy before it is issued to the media and the public:
 

1. The PI submits a scientific paper or preprint to the news chief. In consultation with OPO education scientists and other experts in the field, the news chief makes a determination as to the news value of the research (see news criteria). In general, a refereed publication is a prerequisite for a news release, although special circumstances may be appropriate. Occasionally results are brought to the attention of NASA HQ or GSFC personnel. They are usually forwarded to OPO for assessment.
2. After OPO review, a recommendation is forwarded to the GSFC project scientist and the NASA Origins Program Director and the NASA Public Information Office (PIO). NASA approves the release topic and in some circumstances exercises the option to prepare a full televised press conference (Space Science Update).  If NASA declines to support the release from NASA HQ, the release may be issued exclusively from STScI and co-released by any host university PIO.
3. A release date is set once the scientific paper has been accepted for publication. If the paper is to appear in NATURE or SCIENCE magazine, the news chief is responsible for coordinating the embargo time with those publications.
4. The PI, who is the primary contact for the investigative team, reviews draft release materials and is available for further iteration of the release package. The PI is responsible for ensuring scientific accuracy and timely reviews of materials.
5. As the release reaches maturity, it is provided to the STScI Director, the OPO Head, the HST Project Scientist at GSFC, the NASA Origins Program Director, and the consulting scientist (usually in OPO) for a final assessment




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