Why Should I Trust You?
Why Should I Trust You?
Podcast Description
Bold, unfiltered, and uncompromisingly honest, Why Should I Trust You? is a weekly podcast that looks at the breakdown in trust for science and public health. It drops every Thursday, with occasional additional special episodes sprinkled in. Hosted by Brinda Adhikari, the former executive producer of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and a former TV news journalist; Tom Johnson, the former executive producer of “The Circus,” and also a former TV news journalist; Dr. Maggie Bartlett, a virologist and assistant research professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek a skin cancer surgeon, a medical journalist and a dermatologist practicing in Philadelphia - each week we try to figure out what is behind this staggering collapse in trust and see if we can rebuild towards trust again. We hear from people who are wary about public statements, recommendations and studies coming from what they view as an elitist and conflict-riddled scientific establishment. And we hear from those in this establishment who fear the consequences of what they see as a dangerous trend towards anti-expertise. And then somehow, we will seek a path through all this!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the erosion of trust in science and public health, exploring themes such as vaccine hesitancy, conspiracy theories, and the political ramifications of scientific discourse. Specific episodes dive into topics like the lab leak theory of COVID-19 origins and the public health implications of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s political rise.
Bold, unfiltered, and uncompromisingly honest, Why Should I Trust You? is a weekly podcast that looks at the breakdown in trust for science and public health. It drops every Thursday, with occasional additional special episodes sprinkled in.
Hosted by Brinda Adhikari, the former executive producer of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and a former TV news journalist; Tom Johnson, the former executive producer of “The Circus,” and also a former TV news journalist; Dr. Maggie Bartlett, a virologist and assistant research professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek a skin cancer surgeon, a medical journalist and a dermatologist practicing in Philadelphia – each week we try to figure out what is behind this staggering collapse in trust and see if we can rebuild towards trust again.
Americans today are engaging in a great Rorschach Test over public health–andits results may determine our future.
Are radical changes at the CDC and beyond moving us in the right direction for a healthier nation, or dangerously backwards?
Are we undoing the very system that has protected us for decades (from infectious disease)? Or upending a system that has made us sicker (chronic disease epidemic)?
Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) has succeeded in putting that question front and center. The movement encourages us to research for ourselves and make health decisions based on our unique family's needs. The days of lining up and getting your shot, no questions asked, are done. The days of trusting the experts appear to be winding down, too.
That theme became clear in our conversation with the CDC leaders who recently resigned in protest. They tendered their resignations in defiance over RFK Jr.’s management of the agency, including the the firing of his handpicked director Dr Susan Monarez.
It was a fascinating conversation, where we explored the role of the CDC, the Covid response, vaccine mandates, and the role of government in general.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guests:
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC
Dr. Debra Houry , the CDC's former Chief Science and Medical Officer
Dr. Dan Jernigan, former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at CDC
Elizabeth Frost, MAHA Ohio, ran Kennedy grassroots in Ohio
Aaron Everitt, video essayist, substack Besides the Revolution, frequent contributor to House InHabit
Tracy Hollister, former Deputy Elector Director for Kennedy campaign, public policy researcher, MAHA advocate
Travis Tripodi, consultant in the health technology industry; libertarian; MAHA and Kennedy supporter
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