Our website includes a list of research centres and the contacts of the press offices that have been registered.
It depends on the topic. For example, we may be interested in hearing about a local science-related issue that is generating controversy and that we may not be aware of. Tell us about the specific case and we will assess it.
Yes, of course you can. When you register, please indicate that you are a freelancer and the media you normally collaborate with to be included in our database (for internal use).
Registration is required to access the embargoed content and to receive emails with this information as soon as we have it ready. Read more about how we work.
The process is quick and easy. All you have to do is register on the website and fill in your details. The SMC Spain team will analyse your application and, once this is validated, you will receive an email so that you can verify your account and password and a declaration that you agree to abide by the embargo policy.
Once you have obtained your username and password, you will be able to access your profile and modify the information you consider necessary.
You will contribute to making science headlines with rigour, contributing your expert knowledge and contextualising the information with the available evidence. As opposed to purely opinionated statements or equidistant positions, we are looking for reliable voices that expose the existing consensus and debates in the scientific community.
We will ask you for feedback on current events in your field and you will be able to participate, together with other members of the international research community, in the briefings we will organise. If you need to prepare for an interview or learn more about how the media works, you can check out our resources on science communication.
Yes, in our resource library we publish guides aimed at different profiles, including research staff who want to improve their skills in communicating with the media. There are guides on how to do a good interview, what the differences are between science communication and journalism, how to determine if a research work is newsworthy and tips for crisis communications, among others. If you think any guides are missing, don't hesitate to write to us.
No. SMC Spain’s task is not to act as the press office of a research centre. If a journalist asks for your contact details, we will direct them to your press office, which will always be informed about our communication with you. That is why there is a directory on the website with the press contacts of the research centres. The database we work with is for internal use only. What we can include is your website in the articles in which you participate.
It depends on the type of content. If it’s about reactions or ‘what we know’ on subjects that have become topical, we will need your response as soon as possible. Bear in mind that a quick reaction doesn’t have to be long, just be written in plain language and be enough to help journalists assess the importance of the research and put it in context in the real world. If we are contacting you about an embargoed investigation, there is more leeway. And if what we are asking for is an analysis (which we call an ‘expert voice’), you will have days to prepare it.