When Journalists Get Too Cozy with the Drug Industry

In the midst of the swine flu epidemic caused by H1N1 influenza virus, Novartis, a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, invited a coterie of Turkish journalists to South Africa. The journalists from the dailies, Hürriyet, Radikal and Zaman enjoyed the “hospitality” of the drug company for three days in November. As ordinary readers we learned afterwards that Novartis had briefed them about the company’s “medical breakthroughs” in vaccination of malaria and tried to promote its products, activities and services in Africa.

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Tarih : 09.11.2009