It would be interesting to know how this issue is playing out over on the
email lists of the US National Association of Science Writers.

I seem to recall similar moans there in the past about treatment of
freelance journalists.

Personally, I am very suspicious of the embargo system. It seems to benefit
only the journals that love them. If I can still get access to things like
PNAS, I am happy to use other ways to get stories.

There are SEC issues, although it took the journals years to spot the issue.

This issue is, by the way, also ruffling feathers over on the mailing list
of Association of British Science Writers. Several other freelance writers
have been clobbered.

M




> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:PSCI-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Francis Sedgemore
> Sent: 16 January 2009 11:58
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] EurekAlert!
> 
> Respected keyboard comrades!
> 
> The result of my EurekAlert! auditing was the termination of my
> account. And this was for reasons that changed when I challenged the
> action.
> 
> I can understand why EurekAlert! restricts access to embargoed
> material to bone fide journalists. But the rules appear to be
> prejudiced against freelances.
> 
> As a freelance writer and editor I work for a number of different
> clients, some of whom are competitors. As well as science reporting, I
> occasionally do some copywriting and editing for clients who have
> nothing to do with science communication. The latter may not be
> journalism, but in practice there is no conflict of interest. All the
> freelance journalists I know personally are in a similar position.
> This is how we make a living.
> 
> EurekAlert! cites restrictions arising from the US Securities Exchange
> Act. But the justification/s given for my account termination are
> spurious, and, as I said, the reasons changed in response to my
> questioning.
> 
> At first the messages from EurekAlert! called into question my
> professional integrity, effectively accusing me of an conflict of
> interest by undertaking consultancy work. That was before I became a
> journalist proper, when I was still semi-attached to the European
> space industry. I have never reported on the space industry.
> 
> I was then told that a Google search revealed no bylined articles by
> me since I stopped writing online opinion rubbish for the Grauniad
> back in September '07. Assuming that Google knows about everything
> that exists displays an astounding level of ignorance. B2B publishers,
> for example, rarely publish openly on the Internet; their business
> models are based on the distribution of information to mainly
> corporate paying subscribers. In many cases you will not even find
> tables of contents published on the web. The relevance of bylines is
> not immediately apparent to me.
> 
> I was kicked off EurekAlert! by editorial coordinator Jennifer Gibson,
> who had the nerve to sign-off "Warm regards, Jenn". This followed an
> extensive trawling of my website from the aaaa.org domain, with, it
> appears, a particular interest in some of the more political blog
> posts.
> 
> I phoned our Jenn to ask what was going on. Pregnant pauses ...
> errs ... more pauses ... hesitant explanations ... blah. Ms Gibson
> then gave me the contact details for her supervisor, Rahman Culver, to
> whom I outlined my concerns in a email. I concluded by saying that the
> various explanations given for my account termination indicate to me a
> lack of candidness on EurekAlert!'s part.
> 
> A day later Culver replied, apologising for "any miscommunication",
> and backtracking somewhat on the aspersions cast on my professional
> integrity.
> 
> Culver then explained EurekAlert! policy as regards the credentials of
> journalists granted access to embargoed material...
> 
> "[P]lease understand that journalists with access to embargoed news on
> our Web site must work exclusively for entities owned and operated
> independently of any government, industry, educational institution,
> association or lobbying organization.
> 
> "As you indicated, your professional work is not limited exclusively
> to science journalism. Your work with various third sector
> organizations and corporate clients (the fact that this work is not
> directly related to journalism is precisely the point), precludes you
> from having access to embargoed news content as outlined by our
> policies. These policies, developed in consult with EurekAlert!'s
> external advisors, exist to operate in adherence to established US
> government S.E.C. guidelines, and are enforced strictly by our staff."
> 
> Culver is now appealing to the authority of EurekAlert! director
> Patrick McGuiness.
> 
> There are a number of problems with Culver's explanation.
> 
> For one, Eurekalert! has a de facto monopoly in North America as a
> clearing house for embargoed science press releases. Now I tend to
> regard the embargo system as inherently harmful to science, if not
> downright corrupting. But like all journalists I have no choice but to
> work with it, and adhere strictly to the rules. By refusing certain
> journalists access to the database of embargoed material, EurekAlert!
> is putting us at a competitive disadvantage as journalists.
> 
> As for independence from government, industry, the education sector
> and lobby groups, the AAAS by its very nature works across these
> boundaries, and is dependent on all the sectors listed. There is no
> "independence", only a responsibility to act with due professionalism
> and impartiality. That the AAAS does, just as the BA does on this side
> of the Pond.
> 
> I see that Kat Arney has also been expelled from EurekAlert!, though
> this doesn't surprise me, given what Culver and Gibson have said. It's
> still wrong, in my opinion, and reflects badly on the AAAS and the
> embargo system. I imagine that the only science journalists who can
> fulfil all the stated criteria for membership of the EurekAlert!
> community are full-time staffers working for major newspapers,
> magazines and broadcasters. If so, that is discriminatory and anti-
> competitive.
> 
> Francis
> 
> --
> Dr Francis Sedgemore
> journalist and science writer
> http://sedgemore.com
> 
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