ABSTRACT
Journalists and doctors are often described as two very different kinds of professionals, who draw from different disciplines and spheres of discourse. They have different values and goals, as well as different concepts of validity, objectivity, and significance (Leask et al., 2010). Yet in fact, these two professions have much in common. First and foremost, both journalists and doctors are the main channels for funneling health information to the public, which is especially critical in the periods preceding and following epidemics. Both doctors and journalists mediate between the organizations and governments and the public. In the technological reality of citizen journalism and participatory journalism, the role of journalists has transformed from the traditional media, which raises many questions and challenges regarding the nature of their role. However, as long as journalists carry out a professional role, their job is to voice the public’s concerns. Doctors mediate as well, but while journalists are considered outsider influential stakeholders, public health workers are expected to operate as the organizations’ voice. These similarities and differences underlie the ethical and communication questions raised in the present chapter. Above the doctors and the journalists looms the pharmaceutical industry as a major stakeholder that holds excessive influence in the field of risk communication. This chapter treats the industry’s role, and to what extent it affects or manipulates doctors and journalists.
