The Mars Meteorite: A case study in controls on dissemination of science news

Through interviews with participants and analysis of media reports, this pa per reconstructs the preparations for the 1996 announcement of the discover y of evidence of fossilized life in a meteorite from Mars. The National Aer onautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the American Association for t he Advancement of Science (AAAS) attempted to manipulate the timing and man ner of press coverage. Contrary to the stated rationale for embargoes on sc ience news, premature disclosure of the paper in the media resulted in news coverage that was largely accurate.