General

Public respect for doctors up, journalists down: poll

Here’s a new Angus Reid poll that shows a majority of Canadians have a “great deal or fair amout of respect” for doctors (95 per cent of respondents). And of all the provinces, BC residents respect their medical practitioners the most (96 per cent). Interestingly, respect for every single profession has dropped over 14 years, with the notable exception of doctors, who are getting more respect than ever before (in 1994, 91 per cent of respondents respected them).

Journalists, meanwhile, are at the bottom end (harrumph). We get respect from a mere 49 per cent of Canadians, compared to 73 per cent in 1994, the biggest slump that any profession has seen. Politicians (who are in last place) are keeping us company: a mere one-quarter of respondents said they respected them.

So, how does the public feel about medical journalists?

THE NUMBERS:

Percentage of respondents in an online poll who say they have “a great deal or a fair amount of respect” for the following professions:

doctors – 94 per cent

police officers – 83 per cent

teachers – 83 per cent

journalists – 49 per cent

lawyers – 44 per cent

politicians – 25 per cent

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