The influence of commercial industries on public discourse

This chapter investigates the influence that commercial industries have on public discourse about health and health policy. It first describes how commercial companies use the media to shape public and policymakers’ opinion in favor of weak regulation aligned to their business interests. It explores how industries gain traction and legitimize their role in regulatory debates, especially through framing strategies. Next, the chapter outlines new empirical work that is advancing scholarship on how commercial companies influence public discourse. It identifies the need to build on this research by comparing different policy domains and industry sectors. Such comparative research could provide further explanation for variation in public discourses across harmful products and industries. The chapter concludes by suggesting that research in this domain could transform how the practices of corporate actors are publicly debated and create a space for advocates and regulators to better influence and promote regulation to protect public health.