COVID-19 created uncertainty. Perhaps more than it should have.
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Presented with accurate data about COVID cases, many remained skeptical. Even in quote-unquote “liberal California” people accused health officials of spreading misinformation!
Enter Joshua Murillo and a team from multiple UC’s. They analyzed over five-hundred documents across three counties.
What did they find? Deep mistrust of health policies and policymakers. Officials shared raw data, and residents filtered it with political distrust.
Other cities have tried solutions. In New York City, a Misinformation Response Unit used clear, targeted messages to rebuild trust.
So data nerds, hold those plots! It’s not just about numbers – it’s about WHO people trust to report them!
Reference: Murillo, J., Pulido, T. R., Loyd, A. B., Subica, A. M., Yen, I. H., & Payán, D. D. (2025). Policy
stakeholders’ perspectives and use of data, research evidence, and misinformation in three counties in California, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020–2022. Preventive Medicine Reports, 54, 103098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103098