ScienceDaily launched in 1995 and has become a prominent American website that aggregates and republishes press releases about scientific research. The site was founded by Dan and Michele Hogan, and Dan Hogan previously worked in the public affairs department at Jackson Laboratory writing press releases. ScienceDaily earns revenue through advertising and positions itself as a free source of science news for a general audience.
For much of its early history the site operated without a traditional newsroom. As reported, by 2010 ScienceDaily described growth from a two-person operation to a wider news business while still running from the founders' home. The site did not employ reporters and largely reprinted press releases during that period. In 2012 Quantcast ranked ScienceDaily at 614 with about 2.6 million U.S. visitors.
ScienceDaily organizes its coverage across thematic sections. As of August 2023 the site lists Health, Tech, Enviro, Society and Quirky among its main sections, with Quirky often featuring the top news items. The site has been compared to other outlets that distribute science press material, including Phys.org and EurekAlert.
Criticism, Practices and Industry Context
ScienceDaily has drawn criticism for a practice critics call churnalism, where outlets publish lightly edited press releases as news. John Timmer of Ars Technica noted the blurred line between public relations and journalism. Ed Yong, writing for National Geographic Phenomena, described sites such as ScienceDaily as providing the "pretence" of journalism while functioning as staging grounds for PR material.
Scientific American blog network contributor Charles Q. Choi warned about the dangers of press release driven stories when scientists are not contacted and labeled some outlets as pres-release farms that repackage releases found on services like EurekAlert. Gary M. Stern described ScienceDaily as providing the latest scientific research for free, highlighting its role as an accessible aggregator.
The criticisms underline a tension about sourcing and verification in science reporting. Supporters emphasize wide access and centralized discovery of research. Critics emphasize the risk that lightly edited press releases can reach large audiences without independent reporting. ScienceDaily's combination of high traffic, advertising revenue and reliance on press releases places it squarely in that ongoing debate.
