Scientists with East Asian names get less news coverage and what it means for Asian brands
Based on 223,587 news stories from 288 US outlets reporting on 100,486 research papers across all areas of science
Since its founding in 2011, Altmetric.com has sought to understand the value of research and its subsequent influence. Thus, this company has been tracking media mentions for scientific papers to understand who is engaging with research online and what they're saying.
To investigate whether authors' ethnicities, as inferred from names, are associated with whether journalists mention them by name, Hao Peng, Misha Teplitskiy, and David Jurgens from the University of Michigan used Altmetric data to examine 223,587 news stories from 288 US-based outlets reporting on 100,486 scientific papers, with a total of 276,202 story-paper mention pairs.
Their study finds evidence of ethnic disparities in how often researchers are mentioned in media coverage, with East Asian and African names least likely to be covered relative to Anglo names. This impacts the visibility of their research and the researchers' profile among their peers. The results are also of interest to Asian PR professionals who are pitching to US media since these preferences are likely to extend to non-scientific media pitches as well.
Key Findings
Science has reported that for individual scientists, having their name mentioned "is very meaningful," says study lead author Hao Peng, a postdoc at Northwestern University who has been left out of high-profile news coverage featuring his work. "It matters for career progression, academic recognition, and in some cases for career mobility for foreign scientists."
Hao Peng and his teammates note that name mentions are likely to be related to the quality of coverage, including describing the research's sophistication and eminence of the scholars or crediting them in quotes. This paper's key findings include:
East Asian and African names least likely to be covered: Compared to Anglo-named authors, most authors with minority ethnicity names are significantly less likely to be mentioned, with European names disadvantaged the least, while US-based Chinese, non-Chinese East Asian, and African-named authors experience 4.8, 3.8, and 4.6 percentage points drops in mention rates, respectively, compared to their Anglo-named counterparts.
International researchers are mentioned less: International researchers are significantly less likely to be mentioned compared with their US domestic counterparts of the same ethnicity. This study notes that compared to international researchers, the mention disparities are much smaller for US-based authors, suggesting that being affiliated with a US institution does decrease the disparity for each minority ethnicity.
US-based authors with African and East Asian names are more likely to be identified by their institutions: Being associated with a US institution does help, but this study's data reveals that US-based authors with African and East Asian names are more likely to have their names substituted by their institutions, for example, being named as the "researchers at the University of Michigan."
Key Learning Points for PR
Hao Peng and his teammates' research estimates about six thousand minority-ethnicity researchers should have been mentioned in their data alone if they had Anglo names. Natalie Davidson, a postdoc at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, notes this study shows it is common to hold preconceptions about a researcher based on their name alone. Apart from this, potentially implicit ethnic bias, perceived time-zone differences, and lack of English proficiency in answering follow-up questions are factors that US journalists are likely to consider.
Against this backdrop, what can Asian PR professionals do to enhance their chances of pitching success? Let's play Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" as you continue reading.
Firstly, think about how we could provide information to journalists that gives them the highest "ROI" or the most clicks/shares in the least amount of time spent. Perceived time-zone differences and lack of English proficiency might be perfectly rational when viewed through the lens of a stressed journalist who is short of time and targeting to optimize his/her ROI. Background information: many American media, including iconic outlets such as the LA Times, have been making drastic layoffs.
Secondly, provide localized data, trend analysis of such data, and access to local experts in media pitches. Research shows being associated with a US institution does increase the likelihood of gaining journalistic attention. Likewise, your media pitches should incorporate a local news angle. For many Asian businesses, access to local experts with a non-Chinese or non-Asian name is especially difficult. However, localized data and trend analysis are entirely possible. Even if your business has just started operations in the US, you may conduct online global surveys of young [insert product category] consumers aged between 20 to 30 years old and compare US results to those of Asia and Europe. You will then have exclusive data to undertake trend analysis to enhance journalistic "ROI" and the leverage to enhance US media relations since journalists want to stay in touch with good sources.
Thirdly, Chinese businesses, in particular, should consider the impact of potential geopolitical and regulatory developments on their brand. This study shows preconceptions among US journalists exist and may worsen amid these developments. While not every business needs to hire lobbyists similar to TikTok, it is necessary for PR professionals to understand how US regulatory developments may impact their business and adjust their media pitches accordingly. Chinese companies with more ambitious US expansion plans may wish to consider a subscription to policy-related services such as Politico Pro to access automated policy tracking tools and enlist experts who could help make sense of these changes off the record.
Lastly, don't make the mistake of overestimating the personal touch in international PR. Cultivating relationships with journalists is important. But in the context of upheaval in the media industry and regulatory changes, invitations to review products or coffee chats hold less weight than regularly providing exclusive and insightful trend analysis that helps journalists meet their KPIs. It is important to invest more time and resources in the latter.
Hao Peng, Misha Teplitskiy, and David Jurgens' study is a timely reminder that preconceptions exist among US journalists and that Asian brands should adjust their PR strategy accordingly to raise the visibility of their brand and enhance their growth in this important market.
JX Tan is the founder of Momentum AI, specializing in leveraging global surveys and cutting-edge AI technology to provide data-driven insights for Asian businesses' strategic communications.