Information Sick: How Journalism’s Decline and Misinformation’s Rise Are Harming Our Health

Why It Matters

Without reliable journalism, health misinformation spreads unchecked, directly endangering lives and inflating healthcare costs; restoring trusted news sources is a critical public‑health intervention.

Key Takeaways

• Local news decline fuels health misinformation and harmful decisions.
• Private‑equity buyouts reduce investigative reporting on public health threats.
• Social media amplifies false health claims, leading to real medical harm.
• Trusted community messengers can counter misinformation on platforms like WhatsApp.
• Restoring robust journalism is essential to protect public health outcomes.

Summary

The event centered on the newly released book *Information Sick*, which argues that the erosion of traditional journalism and the surge of health‑related misinformation are creating a public‑health crisis. Authors Joanne Cannon and Josh Sharfstein trace how dwindling local newsrooms, corporate consolidation, and algorithm‑driven social platforms leave communities without trusted sources, prompting dangerous health choices—from rejecting chemotherapy to refusing COVID‑19 vaccines.

Key data points illustrate the problem: the rise of “news deserts” across counties, the Pulitzer‑winning opioid investigation that vanished when its paper was sold, and AI‑generated deepfakes like the Chuck Norris health video. The authors also cite a 2016 study showing network news devoted only minutes to policy while fixating on horse‑race coverage, underscoring how agenda‑setting has shifted away from substantive health reporting.

Memorable anecdotes punctuate the analysis: Eric Iyer’s West Virginia paper exposed massive opioid dumping before its closure; Elvis Presley’s public polio shot boosted teen vaccination rates; and a student’s WhatsApp‑shared Washington Post article convinced a faith community to vaccinate. These stories highlight both the damage of misinformation and the power of trusted, community‑based messengers.

The authors conclude that reviving robust, locally anchored journalism—and pairing it with credible community influencers—offers the most effective antidote to health misinformation. Policymakers, media owners, and public‑health officials must prioritize sustainable funding for investigative reporting and develop strategies to monitor and counter false health narratives online.

Original Description

An award-winning journalist and a public health expert discuss their book on the pollution of our information environment, its implications for health, and what can be done.

Joanne Kenen is Editor-at-Large at Politico and Journalist-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. Joshua Sharfstein, MD is Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement and Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This event is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Wallace House Center for Journalists, and Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation.