I would like to draw your readers' attention to an issue that has arisen regarding the rules on ‘prior publication’ and how these are implemented. Academic journals are generally loath to re-publish material that has already been published, although this is sometimes acceptable as long as there is appropriate attribution. Some journals extend this ban to media coverage ahead of publication (the Ingelfinger Rule). This has the merit of discouraging authors from seeking media coverage for findings before these have been subject to full peer review. However, the pre-publication and media release rules can work against transparent and effective science communication, as I think happened in the following case.