The dominating professional ethic of the right to privacy and confidentiality must be balanced with the desirability of informing the public about certain issues. Psychiatrists must protect the privacy not only of individual patients, but also of patients as a group and therefore must clearly acknowledge and explain violations of privacy. The role and responsibility of the psychiatrist may also vary according to the circumstances and according to whether the person involved is an alleged offender, a public figure, or a dead person. Psychiatrists should examine their attitudes toward the media, recognize that their fear or hostility will result in poor communication, and face the fact that they act as a spokesperson for the profession. They must also consider their obligation to education, both professional and lay, and their possible obligation to the recording of accurate history. 14 references