Representing doctors: discourses and images in the Australian press

Abstract

Reports of incidents and issues related to members of the medical profession and the practice of medicine often feature in the western news media. Such intense coverage has incited the interest of both medical sociologists and members of the profession themselves. Thus far, however, very few detailed studies addressing the tenor of news reporting on the medical profession have been published, particularly in relation to the Australian media. This article presents the findings of a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the representation of doctors and the medical practice over a period of 15 months (January 1994 to March 1995) in metropolitan Australian newspapers and major news magazines. The method of critical discourse analysis was employed, including both quantitative analysis and interpretive analysis of the language and visual imagery of the news texts. The study revealed that negative portrayals of doctors were countered by positive representations. While cases of medical negligence, sexual assault and avarice on the part of doctors were often reported, medical successes were also frequently covered. Doctors were overwhelmingly reported as the major authorities on medical matters and as active agents in interacting with patients and other groups such as government officials. It is concluded that while the nature of reporting would suggest that members of the medical profession may be constantly under the spotlight of media scrutiny, they enjoy a significant degree of cultural and social authority in the Australian press.