Dear EurekAlert! Community,

Today, we embark on a new era for EurekAlert!, the non-profit science news release distribution platform operated by AAAS.

It’s long overdue: The old platform, which in recent years accepted an average of 150 news releases a day, each reviewed by a staff member against our eligibility guidelines, was originally designed and built in 1996. While many features and improvements were added through the years, the platform’s infrastructure has been in dire need of a complete overhaul to meet the expectations of journalists and PIOs like you.

The platform was originally created to facilitate the sharing of scientific information – in the form of news releases – from research institutions, academic publishers, and funding agencies to journalists. Everyone who has worked at EurekAlert! over the past 25 years, including our current team of 8, has striven to stay true to this original mission in everything we do.

We also recognize the increasing emphasis on public engagement with science, and our role and responsibility in those efforts: EurekAlert! has seen a tripling of public visits in just the past 5 years and the sources of our content has greatly diversified.

It is for those reasons – and the deep respect we have for your role in the public’s understanding of science that AAAS has made the major investment in re-building EurekAlert!. Since the project began in 2018, we have followed these guiding principles:

• To make it easier for journalists to find story ideas
• To make it easier for PIOs to share their content
• To encourage transparent and collaborative communication of science

We hope that, as you engage with the new platform, you feel the care and consideration we have placed into every decision and that we have brought the platform closer to meeting our mission. As always, feedback is welcomed, reach out any time at webmaster@eurekalert.org.

Sincerely,
Brian Lin
Director, Editorial Content Strategy
EurekAlert!