Deep Life

Deep Life Media coverage, December 2018

In December 2018, the Deep Carbon Observatory Engagement Team and Terry Collins & Associates distributed an embargoed news release: “Life in Deep Earth Totals 15 to 23 Billion Tonnes of Carbon—Hundreds of Times More than Humans,” with coverage timed to coincide with the start of the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting.

Emailed to a database of 7,000 media contacts, the release was viewed by 1,000+ recipients

On the EurekAlert distribution platform, the release drew ~250 page views during the embargo period

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Advance interviews were conducted over six days with key media worldwide

When the embargo lifted on Dec. 10, a deluge of media coverage began -- online, in print, and on radio

As reports continued to be published by prominent news organizations, the story appeared for five days among the top 40 in the science category at Google News USA (including #1 on Dec. 11) and at Google News sites around the world -- the UK, India, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, New Zealand, Israel and others

As of 2 February 2019, coverage had been captured in 31 languages, with 957 different online news outlets publishing 1,200 articles

Coverage was largely accurate and conveyed the top two key messages: 1) Earth's deep biosphere is massive, and 2) The genetic diversity of life below the surface is comparable to or exceeds that above the surface

Media coverage was captured from the 87 countries pinned

The potential reach of the online coverage alone was 1.38 billion people

International newswires

Agence France Presse: "Vast, zombie-like microbial life lurks beneath seabed" (Distributed in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese)

Xinhua (China) "Subsurface dark community hundreds of times more than humans: study"

"Eat sulphur, breathe rust: Scientists find life deep underground"

Agencia EFE (Spain) "Biomasa de la vida subterránea es miles de millones de toneladas de carbono"

... and many others

Newspapers (original coverage)

Online Dec. 19; in print Jan. 1, Quoting Robert Hazen, Cara Magnabosco, Isabelle Daniel, Karen Lloyd

Dec. 11, Page 3

The Telegraph, UK, Dec. 11, Pages 1 and 12

The syndicated feature "Earthweek: Diary of a Changing World," is published by the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, the Columbus Dispatch, and nearly 100 other newspapers worldwide

Radio

BBC World Service, three interviews: Science News (6 minutes). Interviewee: Robert Hazen. Newsday (4 minutes) and Science in Action (7 minutes). Interviewee: Karen Lloyd

National Public Radio, San Francisco, "Under Earth's Surface, a Wild Menagerie of Strange Organisms." Interviewees: Julie Huber and Rick Colwell

Radio France International: "What looms beneath the earth's surface?" Interviewee: Bénédicte Menez

France Inter, La Tete au Carré: "La vie microbienne dans les sous-sols profonds." Interviewees: Isabelle Daniel, Emmanuelle Gérard, and Bénédicte Menez

CapeTalk, South Africa: "Global science team uncovers vast ecosystem deep below earth's surface." Interviewee: Esta van Heerden

... and many others

Original online coverage by prominent news organizations included

... and many others

Thank you to Deep Life co-Chairs Mitch Sogin and Kai-Uwe Hinrichs and the Deep Life and Deep Energy community

Cara Magnabosco

Karen Lloyd

Rick Colwell

Fumio Inagaki

Isabelle Daniel

Julie Huber

Barbara Sherwood Lollar

Benedicte Menez

Esta van Heerden

Donato Giovannelli

Thanks also to

Bob Hazen

Jesse Ausubel

and the DCO Secretariat

Appreciate

Deep Life Media coverage, December 2018

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