This was a professional issue that would irk me while I was working at Medscape. I’d see such embargoes come through via email on important information & it would instantly anger me.
I would think to myself, “This is a free press, if you’re going to release important news, release it when you want it released. Don’t hold everyone hostage to print it all on a certain day or under your chosen timing & make them sit on it because you’re not ready for it to come out yet. Don’t be an effing tease.”
Nonetheless, as a journalism grad & still somewhat of a scientific & media news geek, I find articles like this an interesting & important read.
(I’m sure some of my former colleagues may beg to differ with my opinions on embargoes & how interesting some of these types of articles are).