Medical Program: Social Media, Scientific Uncertainty, & Political Polarization: COVID-19’s Misinformation Storm

Misinformation about COVID-19 can have real human costs in the forms of physical harm and “straining the fabric of democracy.” But where does misinformation come from, and how can it be prevented when so much is still unknown about the virus?

Guest host Dr. Colleen Barry, Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, talks with Dr. Brendan Nyhan, an expert in the politics of misinformation about health, about why people might believe false claims, the role of politics, and how to keep science at the center of the discussion.

Published April 30, 2020