The 2024 election has made clear that public health will need to continue its outreach, its defense of important health values, and its ongoing commitment to translating science fairly, humbly, and without partisanship. Not only engaging in conversations, but also trying to influence them is now, more than ever, part of our mission. Given this, we are re-sharing a recent essay on combatting misinformation and restoring trust in science.
In his 1997 book “The Art of the Comeback,” then future President Donald J. Trump said that asbestos was “100% safe” and “got a bad rap.” The science on asbestos as a risk factor for a broad range of cancers has long been settled, with little meaningful dispute about the product’s harms. But Trump’s book, which was a bestseller, had reach, and was part of an effort to sow doubt about a product that seemed to have inconvenienced his efforts in construction projects.
Read more here.