๐ The Misinformation Massacre: Is Public Health Targeting the Wrong Enemy?
Description
In this bonus episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks dives into the "War on Misinformation" and unravels its complexities.ย
Is misinformation truly an "infodemic," like a virus infecting our brains? Is the militaristic approach to misinformation missing the mark?ย
Here we explore how misinformation is policed online, the rise of fact-checkers, and some of the biggest misinformation scandals of our time, including the opioid epidemic and the tobacco industry's attempts to define "sound science" while squelching the truth about second-hand smoke as a carcinogen.
Could our obsession with debunking and banning misinformation be a costly, unwinnable war? If we cannot agree on a definition of "misinformation," is this a wise public health battle to pursue, especially given the historical shortage of funding and staff? What roles should fact-checkers, tech companies, and governments play in policing knowledge, particularly in America, a country that deeply values personal liberties? Dr. Eeks also shares her views from working in the field of public health and a few personal anecdotes, including her perspective on how mainstream religious information compares to misinformation.
We also highlight the blurred lines between truth and deception in health and geopolitics. From covert anti-vaccine propaganda campaigns to the false statistics that fueled the opioid crisis, Dr. Eeks asks: Can any one entity be trusted to define whatโs true?ย
Additionally, we will review expert insights from a previous podcast guest to better understand whatโs truly at stake in this ongoing battle.
Subscribe for just 3$/month (less than a coffee!) and tune in for a deep dive into how misinformation has become a defining issue of our time and what it means for the future of public health and freedom of thought. Your freedom of thought, to be exact!ย
*Disclaimer: This podcast consists entirely of my own thoughts and does not reflect the views of anyone or any organization I work with or consult for.
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