You can publish a study in a journal without doing anything else. But if you want a little attention for your important discovery – also from other scientists – it is necessary to issue a press release. And that does not appear to happen in most PFAS studies.
Much has been written recently about excessive PFAS concentrations in the environment. For example, in the Netherlands it is not recommended to eat too much fish from the Western Scheldt because of the large amount of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the water. Invariably, it is stated that it is not clear how harmful PFAS exactly is to health. Now it turns out that much more is known about this than many media think.
Low impact
A new study shows that as many as 92 percent of studies proving PFAS causes health damage appear without a press release. As a result, they receive little or no attention from the media. And studies that receive little attention from the media are less often cited by other scientists.
“It’s a shame that so little of this science reaches the public,” said lead researcher Rebecca Fuoco, director of science communication at the Green Science Policy Institute. “New studies finding a strong link between forever chemicals and serious health problems such as premature birth and cancer remain under the radar. Research that is tucked away in scientific journals has only a limited reach and therefore little impact.”
Press release crucial
The researchers analysed 273 studies on the impact of PFAS on health, published between 2018 and 2020. Of the PFAS studies that found a statistically significant association with health damage, those with a press release received twenty times more media attention than those without a press release. But here’s the thing: only 8 percent of the studies appeared with a press release.
For example, the papers that were published without a press release found an association between exposure to PFAS and preterm birth, ovarian and breast cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes. These studies hardly appeared in the press or on social media.
Not the media’s fault
While the study focused on PFAS research, the researchers believe it applies to other topics as well. One reason why researchers often don’t issue a press release is because they think it won’t benefit their careers, but that’s a misconception. Because this new meta-analysis shows that studies without a press release are also cited much less often by fellow scientists.
What also holds scientists back is that they fear that the media will run off with their research, causing errors to appear in the articles or a study to be overhyped. But they are wrong there too.
Previous research has already shown that the exaggerated claims that sometimes appear in the media can usually be traced back to the university’s press release that exaggerates too much. Reason for the scientists to become more involved in the press release and to ensure that what it says is correct. Other factors that play a lesser role are a lack of time and skills or a certain vision of the role of scientists in society.
Scientific duty
“I call on scientists and universities to embrace media outreach and see it as a crucial part of the research process,” says researcher Linda Birnbaum of Duke University. “As scientists, we have information that can lead to better policy, new medical treatment methods, innovations in industry and much more. It is our responsibility to share this knowledge with a wide audience.”
Researcher Arlene Blum even believes that citizens have a right to this. “Most scientific studies are funded by citizens, who deserve to know the results of the research they are paying for,” she says. “With a press release and a communication plan, scientists can attract the attention of the media and thus increase the reach and impact of their work.”
So it’s high time for scientists to get out of their ivory tower and make sure the world knows what they’re doing.
2023-07-23 12:02:14
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