Scholarly Practice

Fire and Ice: The Infodemic, and how to fight it

Originally presented on Monday, June 15, 2020

Misinformation, conspiracies, lies.  Doctors today are faced with the challenge of communicating facts and reason through noise amplified digitally.

In recent months, McMaster experts have taken to the airwaves to get the truth out there.

In this webinar, we’ll look at an algorithm for pitching news stories, apply simple tools to be a more effective public communicator, and discuss what it means to go on the record, and why every physician should consider media engagement.

Watch this first

In preparation for Monday's workshop, please consider reviewing the related webinar that Drs. Blair Bigham, Zain Chagla, Bram Rochwerg, and Teresa Chan presented on June 11, 2020 for the McMaster Department of Medicine Chair's Rounds.

Now, you can complete this Do-It-Yourself module:

Speaker

Blair Bigham (@BlairBigham) is an emergency physician and scientist who completed the Global Journalism Fellowship at the Munk School of Global Affairs.  He is an opinion writer at The Globe and Mail, a freelance reporter for the Toronto Star’s investigative bureau, a radio personality at CBC News, and the deputy editor of Healthydebate.ca.  His first book, on dying in a technology-filled world, is to be released in 2021. You can read more of this work at his website: blairbigham.ca

Host/Moderator

Dr. Teresa Chan (@TChanMD) is an associate professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine at McMaster University.  She is the assistant dean for McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences Program for Faculty Development (@MacPFD).  She is an avid scholar in health professions education and works with the MERIT group (@MERIT_McMaster), and conducts research and scholarship within this area.