The BMJ Publishing Group Ltd is the commercial division of the British Medical Association and publishes 25 specialist titles (BMJ Journals) in addition to the BMJ.

Newsworthy material from these journals is regularly press released. This can include original research papers, commentaries, editorials/leading articles and letters.

The press releases aim to promote the journal, the science, and perform some public service. They reflect the content of the paper; they are not intended to endorse particular policies or boost the profile of individual organisations.

A press release is an opportunity to manage media coverage, which can be especially important if the material is sensitive or controversial.

Our comprehensive media database means we can usually guarantee much greater coverage than if authors decide to go it alone and issue their own releases.

• If your paper has been selected, you will receive an email version of a draft press release within a week of expected publication of the journal in which your article appears.

• You will be asked to approve it and return any amendments within 24 to 48 hours. This includes supplying relevant contact details or those of a co-author/press officer if you are unable to field media enquiries yourself.

• On the few occasions when we are unable to contact you or your co-author(s), we will ask the journal editor to approve the press release and act as a point of contact for journalists.

• Releases are subject to an embargo of usually not more than three days during which time you are free to talk to journalists but before which nothing must be printed or broadcast. Embargoes coincide with the (print/online) publication schedule of the journal.

• You may receive only a handful of calls, but if your paper is controversial or especially topical you could receive dozens more.

• All releases are automatically issued with a pdf file of the full paper and the author contact details, for maximum accuracy.

• The releases are sent to over 800 print/broadcast/web journalists worldwide.

• Lobby/consumer/charity/campaign groups are excluded to ensure complete independence.

• The releases are also posted on the BMJ Press Centre, EurekAlert (the website of the American Association for the Advancement of Science), and Alphagalileo (the media resource centre for European science, engineering and technology).

• Tell us if you do not want your material press released. But bear in mind that a media release is an opportunity to market your work and your organisation to millions.

• It is your responsibility to advise your co-authors/institution/ press office/employers that your research is the subject of a press release.

• Once you have agreed to be a contact, please be available and willing to talk to journalists directly, usually over the telephone. They work to very tight deadlines, so try to return any calls promptly.

• It is totally unacceptable to just ignore journalists in the hope that they will "go away." If you are worried about talking to them, call us for advice.

• Journalists will call the numbers provided on the press release, so you must make clear any numbers you do not wish to be included on it.

• Be prepared to give us mobile or home numbers, even if you don’t want these published. They are useful for dealing with calls to the press office outside normal working hours.

• Respect the embargoes. These ensure that important health information reaches the public domain in a responsible manner. And they enable competing journalists to work to a common deadline, giving them ample time to cover the story well.

• An embargo break is bad for everyone, because it limits coverage, catches people unawares, and causes general chaos.

• If we decide not to press release your research, but you or your institution are keen to do so, feel free to go ahead, but please check the embargo times with us in advance. We may be issuing papers from the same journal.

• Similarly, we are happy to liaise with third parties who want to issue a release in addition to ours. Once again, just let us know so that we can coordinate publicity for maximum effect.

• If your work is presented in abstract form at a scientific meeting and subsequently published in one of our journals, please ensure that you make the editor aware of this. And if we select your paper for press release, tell us too.

For BMJ press releases please contact:

Emma Dickinson

+44 (0) 207 383 6259 (w); (out of hours) +44 (0)1923 350 436

edickinson{at}bmj.com

Caroline White

+44 (0) 207 383 6214; mobile + 44 (0)7980 800 465

cwhite{at}bmjgroup.com