Medical journals are the main conduit by which medical research reaches the public; and the public seem to be ever more interested in medical stories.Consequently, the mass media pay ever more attention to medical journals.In Britain Friday morning is 'Lancet and BMJ' morning.Virtually every week the morning's media will include stories from one or the other, and often both; although editors may sometimes be critical of the media, they love the attention.But is this passion for publicity corrupting the journals?Should the journals, far from courting the mass media, be keeping them at a distance?
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Richard Smith (2006) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 3 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: