Here we go again: Another Pew report embargo broken, this time by Nieman Journalism Lab

There was an unusual note at the end of a Nieman Journalism Lab item today on a Pew Internet & American Life Project report on mobile apps (itals from the original):

[Editor’s note: Originally, we accidentally published this post too early and jumped the gun on an embargo. Our sincere apologies to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, who have since lifted the embargo.]

NiemanLab also tweeted their apology, which was a worthy transparent move.

Other news organizations followed soon after the Pew lifted the embargo, which was set for sometime tomorrow. I don’t have the original press release, so I don’t know how it was marked. If anyone has a copy, I’d love to see it.

This is the third embargo snafu involving the Pew in just over a month. In one case, the Pew said USA Today had broken an embargo on a report on drug safety, “but then didn’t seem that upset about it, probably because it wasn’t entirely clear what time the embargo actually lifted,” as I wrote in that post. In another case, Pew’s materials were similarly embargoed “for Thursday a.m. publication,” but a reporter posted something Wednesday morning, when their Thursday print edition goes live online.

Sure, these are eagerly awaited reports, and frequently covered, so maybe these are just coincidences. But a lot of journals and other organizations put out similar material. Anyone have any guesses as to what’s going on?

Thanks to Brendan Maher for flagging the NiemanLab item.