Entertaining eminence in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

The challenges for scientific journals at the beginning of 21st century are exciting but beginning of 21st century are exciting but formidable. In addition to reporting faith-formidable. In addition to reporting faithfully new knowledge and new ideas, each fully new knowledge and new ideas, each journal, or at least all those aiming for a journal, or at least all those aiming for a general readership, has to cater for a poten-general readership, has to cater for a potentially huge lay readership waiting at the tially huge lay readership waiting at the internet portals, a hungry press eager for internet portals, a hungry press eager for juicy titbits, and core readers who, while juicy titbits, and core readers who, while impressed to some extent by weighty con-impressed to some extent by weighty contributions to knowledge, are also looking tributions to knowledge, are also looking for lighter material that is both informative for lighter material that is both informative and entertaining. In the past this type of and entertaining. In the past this type of content was frowned on as mere journal-content was frowned on as mere journalism , fluff of short-term appeal but no real ism, fluff of short-term appeal but no real substance. The lighter approach was substance. The lighter approach was pioneered by Michael O'Donnell as editor pioneered by Michael O'Donnell as editor of of World Medicine World Medicine in the 1970s, who intro-in the 1970s, who introduced a brand of racy articles, debates and duced a brand of racy articles, debates and controversial issues in a tone of amusing controversial issues in a tone of amusing and irreverent iconoclasm. At this time it and irreverent iconoclasm. At this time it was dismissed as a comic by some of the was dismissed as a comic by some of the learned journals but its popularity ensured learned journals but its popularity ensured that in subsequent years its critics quietly that in subsequent years its critics quietly followed suit, as any current reader of the followed suit, as any current reader of the British Medical Journal British Medical Journal and the and the Lancet Lancet will will testify. testify. So how does the So how does the British Journal of Psy-British Journal of Psychiatry chiatry reconcile these different demands? reconcile these different demands? My view is that, whatever else appears My view is that, whatever else appears between its covers, scholarship …