Join Together's News Service

Are your research summaries peer reviewed or subject to other academic scrutiny?

Does the appearance of an article mean that Join Together endorses the point of view of the individuals or organization involved?

I liked, hated, or found an error in in a news story. How can I provide feedback?

How can I get my own material or news tips published?

I don't see my question here. Where else can I look or who do I contact?

What is your news service?
In short, everything published in the News section of our website. We provide broad daily coverage of relevant news, research, funding opportunities, public policy, resources and strategies. Over 50,000 people currently receive our news updates in a daily or weekly email, and website visitors can search an archive of more than 10,000 news articles.

Do all your stories represent original reporting?

No, the mainstay Headlines and Research News articles are brief summaries of articles previously published in credible external sources. This approach allows for broad coverage with very modest staffing, and has proven very popular with readers, who tell us they appreciate the option to click through our summaries to the source articles if they want more information.

As with any news clipping service, errors in an original source could be unknowingly reproduced in our summary. This doesn't happen often, but we post a correction notice when we become aware of it.

Where do you get your stories?

Each day, Join Together's news editor scans the Internet for news articles related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues. The best stories for each day are selected to be summarized in the News section of our website and included in the JT Direct e-newsletter. Major sources for stories include Google News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Reuters, the BBC, and news feeds provided by national groups working on our issues.

How are Feature Stories different?

Unlike the news and research summaries, weekly "feature stories" do comprise original reporting by Join Together staff -- usually, veteran alcohol/drug reporter Bob Curley. These exclusive articles are more in-depth explorations of topics of importance to members of the addiction prevention, treatment and recovery communities.

Are your research summaries peer reviewed or subject to academic scrutiny?

The daily Research News summaries do not represent a rigorous original examination of original research studies. Rather, these brief articles summarize secondary sources such as mainstream health news stories or university press releases. This approach allows for daily coverage of many more research stories than would otherwise be possible.

The purpose of this coverage is to inform readers of a broad range of newly published research so they may investigate further. Good scientists never view a single research study as the last word, and neither should our readers. That said, as staff of the Boston University School of Public Health, we do try to use good judgment in selecting credible sources and relevant studies for this reporting.

(In contrast, our monthly research bulletin for treatment counselors does represent an original critical analysis of selected research studies by professional staff.)

Does the appearance of a news item, funding opportunity, announcement or opinion piece mean that Join Together endorses the point of view of the individuals or organization involved?

No. Join Together's editorial philosophy for our News service is to provide unbiased coverage of the current issues of relevance to the addiction field. We have always believed that our readers are best served by reporting on many sides of an issue so they are fully aware of all important developments in the field, not just those they (or we) support.

In contrast, the original content we publish in website sections like Key Issues or Get Involved, or in our print publications, does reflect our organizational point of view.

I liked, hated, or found an error in a story. How can I provide feedback?

We love hearing from our readers! Here are some options:

Leave a public comment on a story page. Any registered website user can post a comment at the bottom of most story pages. Our readers often engage in thoughtful discussion in this space, and our staff regularly reads the posts.
Submit a letter or commentary. We welcome letters to the editor and other commentary for publication. See the relevant submission guidelines for information.
Email us. Email your comments to editor@jointogether.org. We promptly read and consider all messages, but due a large volume of email and limited staffing we cannot always write back.

How can I get my own material or news tips published?

We eagerly welcome suggestions for news coverage from our readers. If you see a news article in your local newspaper or other publication that you would like to see summarized, or have an idea for a feature story, please forward it to us at editor@jointogether.org for consideration.

Readers also may submit commentaries, press releases, resources, or announcements. Please carefully read our submission guidelines before you submit, because there are some types of items we do not publish. All submissions will be reviewed for relevance to the topics we cover and applicability to our national audience.

I don't see my question here. Where else can I look or who do I contact?

We welcome other comments and questions regarding Join Together's news service, which can be submitted to editor@jointogether.org. We will do our best to reply in a timely fashion, but note that questions posed in a direct and civil fashion have the best chances of generating a response.

See also: Submission Guidelines | Reprint Policy