With a concern for social relations of power and authority and referring to the role of discourse in constructing and legitimating worldviews, perceptions, and practices, this study investigates particular instances of medical discourse in two distinct types of print medical media. Two sets of articles shape the overall bulk of data investigated in this research. The first set comprises 20 articles selected from Salamat medical journal which is a weekly publication aimed at the general

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... he general non-expert public. The second body of data is shaped by 20 other articles appearing in Pezeshky-e Emrooz, a weekly publication specifically addressing medical practitioners. van Leeuwen's (2008) conception of 'the discursive construction of legitimation' was adopted as the general guiding framework. His particular category of Expert authority-as the type of legitimation that is based on expertise which may be explicitly stated or may be taken for granted if the expert is recognized in a particular context-was used to code the data in search of themes that represent this kind of authority within the two categories of discourse. On this basis, varying degrees of legitimation appears to be practiced within the discourse of medical professionals in these two distinct discursive arenas.