Book Talk: "Information Sick" With Authors Joanne Kenen, Lymari Morales, and Joshua M. Sharfstein

Why It Matters

Misinformation undermines public‑health interventions, raising morbidity and eroding trust; the book offers actionable pathways for institutions to restore credible health communication.

Key Takeaways

• Journalism’s decline correlates with rising health misinformation
• Misinformation spikes vaccine hesitancy and chronic‑disease misinformation
• Case studies show community‑driven info hubs improve outcomes
• Policy recommendations focus on media literacy and funding trustworthy sources
• Public‑health systems can embed information‑ecosystem frameworks

Pulse Analysis

The past decade has seen a perfect storm of digital amplification and dwindling newsroom resources, creating fertile ground for health‑related misinformation. From COVID‑19 vaccine myths to unverified diet cures, false narratives spread faster than factual reporting, eroding public trust and complicating disease‑control efforts. Researchers increasingly quantify the cost: misinformation‑driven vaccine hesitancy alone adds billions in avoidable health expenditures and prolongs outbreaks, underscoring the urgency of a coordinated response.

"Information Sick" dissects these dynamics, tracing how the collapse of local journalism left information vacuums that opportunistic actors readily fill. The authors spotlight successful pilots—community health newsletters, partnership‑driven fact‑checking platforms, and AI‑assisted verification tools—that demonstrate scalable ways to deliver reliable health data. By weaving together epidemiology, media studies, and policy analysis, the book offers a pragmatic roadmap for public‑health agencies to partner with credible media outlets and leverage technology without sacrificing editorial integrity.

For policymakers, the book’s recommendations signal a shift from reactive debunking to proactive ecosystem design. Funding mechanisms that sustain local newsrooms, integrating media‑literacy curricula into public‑health outreach, and establishing cross‑sector coalitions can rebuild the information infrastructure needed for resilient health outcomes. As the Center for Public Health Systems amplifies these insights, stakeholders across government, academia, and the private sector have a clear template to counter misinformation and safeguard community health.

Original Description

On Monday, April 6, 2026, the Center for Public Health Systems welcomed authors Joanne Kenen, Jymari Morales, and Joshua M. Sharfstein, who discussed their book "Information Sick: How Journalism's Decline and Misinformation's Rise Are Harming Our Health—and What We Can Do About It."

The book traces the dramatic changes in the information media over the past few decades and discusses the impact of this changing environment on health and community information, and describes models that are working to get important information to the public, and that can be built on to create an information ecosystem that can support a healthier society.

About the Center for Public Health Systems

The Center for Public Health Systems, part of the Department of Health Policy & Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is dedicated to addressing complex challenges within public health through rigorous research, policy development, educational programs, and public engagement. Learn more: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/centers/center-public-health-systems