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For Scientists - Newsworthy Results

Photograph of NIRCam’s view of NGC 6822 

The ESA/Hubble/Webb science outreach team (managed by the ESA Office at STScI) supports ESA in disseminating findings from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, by preparing and publishing news releases and image products that frequently reach hundreds of millions of people nationally on behalf of European scientists. Through our website and social media channels, researchers enjoy the widest possible distribution to numerous kinds of media and, in turn, the public. Press releases are often mirrored on mission partner websites, including those of STScI and NASA. It is strongly recommended that distribution of preprints or results through social media should wait until a press release is made public, as this could hinder the effectiveness of the news process. We urge PIs to endeavour to inform the ESA/Hubble/Webb science outreach team of any potentially newsworthy result at the earliest practical time.

Scientific findings capture the public’s attention for a variety of reasons. Findings are newsworthy if they:

  • Represent a major discovery of a new phenomenon or class of object.
  • Decisively settle an area of controversy in astronomy.
  • Present a new mystery or unexpected new complexity to some known phenomenon.
  • Represent a significant step forward in a specific research area.
  • Set a new astronomical record or benchmark, or possess an element of novelty.
  • Deal with unpredicted, transient events.
  • Provide new insight into one of the following popular astronomical topics: cosmology, extrasolar planets, planetary discs, astrobiology, black holes, Solar System objects, distant galaxies, exotic astrophysics, and Earth’s evolution.

If you are the lead author or Principal Investigator of a result that you believe will be interesting to the public, please contact us providing the following information:

  • Specify mission (Hubble or Webb)
  • Lead contact’s Name 
  • Lead contact’s Institution (if based outside of Europe, please contact STScI here).
  • Email address
  • Brief description of the result
  • Please provide a link to your paper or attach a copy of your paper to the email.
  • Journal Submission History
  • Hubble or Webb Proposal ID(s)

The ESA/Hubble/Webb science outreach team, which includes the Chief Science Communications Officer, ESA/Hubble/Webb Project Scientist, technical writers, proofreader, image processing team, graphic designers, and video producers, will make a preliminary assessment of the newsworthiness of your result, taking into account current resources. Our team will follow up with you to discuss possible press release options or other outreach products (such as ESA/Hubble Pictures of the Week or ESA/Webb Pictures of the Month).

Please note that we receive many papers for consideration, and despite how much we wish we could, we cannot feature every result.

A peer-reviewed publication is a prerequisite for a news release to be published on our websites. It typically takes four to six weeks to prepare a news release, accompanying graphics, and video, if available, as well as mission partner reviews of the entire package when applicable. It is therefore important to contact our team well in advance of a publication or conference deadline.

If you have a major discovery, it is advisable to refrain from posting details on public sites like arXiv until a news release is issued. Individual science journalists, who routinely scan sites like that for story ideas, do not have the same reach that our team does, which may preempt wider coverage of your research. The science outreach team protects research results and coordinates with journals who also may have release restrictions (e.g., Nature and Science).

If your submission is accepted, it is critical that you are available to participate in revisions of the news release and any of its supporting products. If you have completed research as a part of a team, we ask that you name a news lead contact to represent your group and ensure scientific accuracy and timely reviews. It is also your responsibility to submit a copy of your final paper to our team following its publication.

The news release date often coincides with acceptance or the publication of your research in a journal or an announcement at a conference. News releases tied to the publications that require strict news embargo times, like Nature and Science, will be coordinated by our news team. We will also coordinate with the press office of your employer or university. Please note that ESA/Hubble/Webb releases are not shared with the media under embargo prior to release.

To increase the reach of a news release, our news team also may ask that you participate in social media opportunities that we will arrange on your behalf (such as live Q&As).