The Harvard Law School's (HLS) media office also is a one-person operation. HLS News Director Michael J. Chmura said that the nature of legal research and publication is such that he does not issue press releases on new faculty work, as there is almost never general public or media interest in it.

Chmura said that at times he tries to take a proactive approach towards the media as well, letting them know Harvard has law experts in subjects currently appearing in the news.

The Competition

The Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) News Office contains a staff of nine employees. Their office issues significantly more media releases than HMS does, issuing 43 in just October and November of this year.

S. Renee Twombly, Acting director of the DUMC news office, says that each writer in their news office staff is assigned to certain areas of medicine to cover and "beat the bushes" trying to find new research coming out

Twombly said her office initiates most of its work with the media--reporters don't just call her office for information.

One difference between HMS and medical schools at many other universities is that Harvard does not own or control its own hospital, unlike Duke, Chicago, or Stanford, for example. Instead, HMS faculty is affiliated with separate hospitals.

Each of HMS's affiliated hospitals also have their own press offices. This means that often releases about HMS faculty research will be issued by their affiliated hospital instead of HMS. Additionally, the HMS Office of Public Affairs will often issue joint press releases with the affiliated institutions.