986 - "Information Sick"

Dec 11, 2025

Guest

Lymari Morales

Join distinguished professor Dr. Josh Sharfstein, health journalist Joanne Kenen, and communications expert Lymari Morales as they tackle the pressing issue of misinformation in health media. They coin the term "information sick," diving into its detrimental effects on public health decisions. Discover the causes behind the misinformation explosion, from the decline of local journalism to social media's chaotic landscape. The trio also shares strategies to rebuild trust and promote credible health communication, offering insights for a collective path forward.

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INSIGHT

Definition And Consequences Of Information Sick

Information sick describes individuals and societies harmed when inaccurate information leads to dangerous health decisions.
Widespread misinformation prevents science and medicine from improving population health.

INSIGHT

Multiple Origins Meet Fewer Local Reporters

Misinformation arises from many sources: honest mistakes, profiteers, foreign actors, and true believers.
Simultaneously, local journalism has declined, leaving fewer reporters to check and contextualize claims.

INSIGHT

News Deserts Amplify False Equivalency

Shrinking newsrooms force reporters to cover many beats and produce false equivalencies between experts and charlatans.
Less policy reporting gives misinformation more space to spread unchecked.

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About this episode:

The decline in journalism and the explosion of social media have converged to form an information crisis, with millions exposed to misleading and false information relevant to their health. In this episode: Joanne Kenen, Lymari Morales, and Josh Sharfstein—authors of a new book exploring this issue—talk about the diagnosis of "information sick," as well as its causes, symptoms, and solutions.

Guests:

Joanne Kenen is an experienced public health and health care journalist who has been the journalist in residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health since 2021.

Lymari Morales, MPP, is the Associate Dean of Communications and Marketing at the School of Public Health. She previously worked in communications leadership roles at The Atlantic and Gallup, and in national newsrooms.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Information Sick: How Journalism's Decline and Misinformation's Rise Are Harming Our Health—And What We Can Do About It—Johns Hopkins University Press
Panel Discussion Inspired by the Book "Information Sick"—Johns Hopkins University
A Playbook for Addressing Misinformation—Public Health On Call (March 2024)

Transcript information:

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.