Hardly a month goes by without news in the popular press of some new archaeological discovery that apparently ‘proves’ or ‘disproves’ a particular event or person mentioned in the Bible. Increasingly these announcements are often tied to book releases and TV documentaries. This paper examines this phenomenon, assessing the impact of the 24-hour Western media cycle on archaeological research and scholarship, particularly as it relates to the Bible. The nature of this cycle raises questions about how scholars should engage with the media in relation to their research, while maintaining the integrity of peer-reviewed, reflective scholarship. Importantly, it requires more robust engagement with the popular media, and with those who peddle sensationalist discoveries.