When science hits the news agenda, it’s our job to pass as much information to journalists as quickly as possible. In order to do this we send out quotes from experts, statistical analyses of scientific studies and factsheets, in addition to running regular press briefings on the latest hot topic. Find our most recent Roundups and Rapid Reactions, Briefings, Factsheets and Before the Headlines analyses below, or use the icons on the right.
As well as working with experienced specialist reporters, we also provide support to new reporters, editors and generalists through a series of publications, including Briefing Notes on controversial topics, and guidelines on science and health reporting, and by working with the National Coordinator for Science Training for Journalists.
Need an expert to interview? The SMC’s database is not quite like any other. Those on it are selected not just for their proven expertise, but also for their willingness and ability to engage with the media when their area of work hits the headlines. Given the Centre’s focus on controversial stories breaking in the news, experts joining the database know they are signing up to get stuck into the debate rather than shouting from the sidelines. The quality of our experts is important to us. The SMC recruits scientists, engineers and others who work for respected institutions, publish in peer-reviewed journals and have a track record of quality research in their specialist field.
The SMC also works with journalists pursuing original and exclusive science stories, and long-form features and news or current affairs documentaries on topical controversies. We can advise on the best experts to approach and help set up interviews and visits to institutions.
If you work for a UK national news media outlet and would like an expert to interview, please contact us on:
t: +44 (0)20 7611 8300
e: smc@sciencemediacentre.org
With the release of the latest guidelines on what is and isn’t a psychiatric disorder (DSM-5) the debate is raging over whether psychiatry has gone too far. The SMC gathered some of the top UK experts from psychology, psychiatry and beyond to preview DSM-5 and discuss everything from drugs to classification to environmental causes and the evidence behind therapies. read more
Approximately 70% of embryos produced, either naturally or through IVF, are lost before birth. A study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online looks at a new time-lapse imaging approach to selecting embryos through IVF and examines for the first time whether it can be used to classify the risk of abnormality in developing human embryos. read more
Approximately 70% of embryos produced, either naturally or through IVF, are lost before birth. A study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online looks at a new approach (IVF time-lapse imaging) and examines for the first time whether it can be used to classify the risk of abnormality in developing human embryos. read more
Despite the importance of autopsy following the death of a baby or young child, parents often object to them and consent rates for both neonatal and foetal autopsy are falling. It has previously been suggested that post-mortem MRI may offer an effective alternative to autopsy, and new research in The Lancet reports the first large prospective study of post-mortem MRI in foetuses, infants and children. read more
A team of scientists, for the first time, published research in Cell describing how they used somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to produce human embryonic stem cells. SCNT is a technique which generates embryos that are almost an identical genetic match to a chosen individual. read more
Ice2sea is an EU-funded project whose goal is to produce state of the art projections of sea level rise. Four of the lead UK scientists came to the SMC to discuss the project’s conclusions, including global mean sea-level rise to 2100 and beyond and the impact on Europe’s coastline. read more