Bioethicists As Sources

Bioethicists are increasingly used by reporters as expert sources in media stories about science and technology. Prompted by controversial topics such as genetically modified food, human cloning, and nanotechnology, reporting on bioethical issues [Page 89]has grown while a new type of expert, the bio-ethicist, has gained credibility and prominence through the media. Journalists and bioethicists have developed a mutually beneficial relationship, although many news consumers are unsure about who bioethicists are and what they do.

Bioethicists specialize in studying the ethical aspects of the life sciences, health care, and technology. The field of bioethics emerged in the late 1960s at the intersection of science, medicine, and ethics. Over time, bioethicists have become an accepted source of moral guidance, a role once reserved for clergy members and ...