An embargo gives selected journalists information in advance with a requested publication time. It can provide time for verification and independent comment, especially for research. Merely writing 'embargoed' on a public release does not ensure compliance: timing and access should be agreed with the recipients and aligned with the originating publisher or event organizer.
Example header and opening
EMBARGOED UNTIL [day, date, time, time zone] | Media contact: [name, professional email, monitored phone] | Headline: [specific finding or announcement] | Dateline: [city, date]. The opening should state the development, who is affected, and where the underlying evidence can be reviewed. Keep the embargo time identical in the email subject, release header, asset folder, and any platform settings.
For a hypothetical research release: 'A university team reports [finding] in a peer-reviewed study scheduled to publish at [time]. The researchers examined [sample and method]; the result does not establish [key limitation]. The paper and independent experts are available to accredited reporters under the publisher's embargo terms.' This structure shows the needed fields without pretending a fictional study exists.
Before sending early access
EurekAlert's eligibility guidance is specific to science releases: it accepts an embargo only when set by the journal publisher or organizer of the meeting or press event where information is first made public. Other channels have their own policies; check them rather than copying a science embargo workflow blindly.
- Confirm the date and time zone with the journal, event organizer, or rights holder.
- Confirm that the information is not already public and that an embargo is permitted.
- Tell each recipient the requested terms before sharing restricted material.
- Provide the full study or source documents and a reachable spokesperson where appropriate.
- Plan the public release and website update for the moment the embargo lifts.
What an embargo does not do
It does not make a weak development newsworthy, force a newsroom to cover it, or prevent a separately obtained fact from becoming public. A journalist may decline the terms. If the date shifts or a leak occurs, inform recipients through the same channel promptly and give a precise replacement time if one exists.
Research deserves special care: do not imply preliminary findings are final, omit important limitations, or prevent reporters from seeking outside comment. The Science Media Centre notes that a well-run embargo can give journalists time to review complex work and obtain independent views.
After publication
Remove the embargo label from public materials, check that source links work, and correct errors transparently. Record what was shared, with whom, and under which time terms so the team can resolve conflicting instructions.