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Why has science misinformation gotten so out of control online?

Conflicting health information has weakened public trust in science over the years. Epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera fact-checks health trends with in-depth research instead of grabby headlines.

About Jessica Malaty Rivera

Jessica Malaty Rivera is an infectious disease epidemiologist and a science communicator. In her social media content, she promotes science literacy and debunks junk science and vaccine misinformation.

Rivera is the executive director of the Infodemiology Initiative at The Public Good Projects, a research fellow at Boston Children's Hospital Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator and the chair of Vaccinate Your Family. She holds a masters degress from Georgetown in emerging infectious diseases and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Johns Hopkins University Center in health security.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Rachel Faulkner White and edited by Katie Monteleone. You can email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Web Resources

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Copyright 2026 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour.
Rachel Faulkner White
Rachel Faulkner White is a producer and editor for TED Radio Hour.
Katie Monteleone
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