Overpopulation

Why the Media Pushes Public Health Myths

Plus: The FCC threatens broadcast licenses over war coverage, J.D. Vance positions himself as an Iran war skeptic, and remembering Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty.

Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch | 3.16.2026 7:34 PM

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Why the Media Pushes Public Health Myths

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This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the legacy of Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb, and the enduring impact of the overpopulation panic he helped popularize. They examine how dire predictions of mass famine and societal collapse dominated headlines for decades, why those forecasts failed to materialize, and how elite institutions and media outlets often continue promoting similar narratives with little reflection on past errors.

Next, the panel discusses the Federal........

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