Ambivalence toward the news media is not an isolated phenomenon among scientists. Despite the potential benefits of "good publicity," few investigators are unaware of the horror stories of colleagues who have submitted to interviews. Although distortions and errors still occur in medical reporting, they are far less egregious and common than they were a few years ago. Today's medical specialists often write excellent articles on research. When the results are poor, the scientist may be at least partly to blame. Working with the news media is improved by experience, but there are many ways to prepare and to reduce the . . .