Health Podcast Library
Episode 13

Fight Misinformation with Framing, Trust, and Empathy: An Interview with Brian Southwell, PhD

Feb 27, 2026
56:50

Episode Description

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We sit down with health communication researcher and podcaster Brian Southwell to explore why misinformation spreads, what trust really means, how to talk about uncertainty, and where AI helps without replacing humans. We share concrete steps to bridge research and practice and lessons from podcasting that make messages feel human and useful.

Dr. Brian Southwell is Distinguished Fellow at RTI International where he oversees research on mental models of scientific concepts and public trust in science and scientists. He also Chairs the Fellows Program at RTI, is adjunct professor of Internal Medicine with Duke University, adjunct associate professor with UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, and adjunct faculty member with the University of Delaware, and hosts the public radio show, The Measure of Everyday Life.

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Southwell

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This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org

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Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.

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