Why Should I Trust You?
Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
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!
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Top 10 Why Should I Trust You? Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Why Should I Trust You? episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Why Should I Trust You? for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Why Should I Trust You? episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Special Ep: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Marks on Vaccine Safety, Trust, and the True Scope of the Measles Outbreak
Why Should I Trust You?
04/11/25 • 70 min
Nation's Top Vaccine Regulator Just Ousted, Dr. Peter Marks: "Measles is NOT leveling off".
This is in direct contrast to Secretary Kennedy's statement just yesterday that the nation's measles outbreak is under control.
Plus why he felt he could not stay at the FDA anymore, his answers to parents' questions about vaccine safety, what he sees for public health right now and what he wants to do next.
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Today, in a special episode, we’re breaking from our usual Thursday release schedule to bring you an in-depth conversation with Dr. Peter Marks—America’s top vaccine official, who just stepped down from his role at the FDA.
His resignation made headlines, sending shock waves through the public health world, especially after he said RFK Jr.’s newly installed team at the agency left him little choice. For years, Dr. Marks led the government group responsible for approving vaccines and in that role was a driving force behind Operation Warp Speed. That effort both fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines at a moment when the nation was desperate for solutions and has helped fuel America's rise in mistrust.
Now, with that public trust in science, health officials, and institutions at a low point, we sit down with Dr. Marks to ask the hard questions: Was the COVID vaccine rushed? What does he make of RFK Jr.’s bold claim that he’ll uncover the cause of autism by September? And does he think the current measles outbreak is bigger and more dangerous than it appears?
Finally, we talk with this newly liberated public health servant about what it might take for America to turn the corner—and start trusting again.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guest:
Dr. Peter Marks, former director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research within the Food and Drug Administration. He oversaw the FDA vaccine program.
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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Wendell Potter, A Health Insurance Exec Turned Whistleblower, On Blowing Up Our System
Why Should I Trust You?
04/10/25 • 57 min
On today's episode, we tackle a topic that sparks more fear, frustration, and mistrust than perhaps any other: health insurance. From denied claims to endless bureaucratic red tape and the dread of sky-high out-of-pocket costs, it's no wonder so many Americans feel trapped. While more people are covered than ever before, many are still skipping doctor visits, avoiding exams, and forgoing prescription refills due to the financial burden. The raw emotion was on full display in the shocking response to the murder of the United Healthcare CEO. Today, we sit down with Wendell Potter, a former health industry insider turned whistleblower who walked away from his high-paying job to fight for reform in the very industry he once served. In today's divisive conversation about making America healthier, is fixing healthcare the one thing we can all agree on?
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guest:
Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive at Cigna; president of the Center for Health and Democracy
Sources:
I Was a Health Insurance Executive. What I Saw Made Me Quit
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/opinion/health-insurance-united-ceo-shooting.html
In US, Inability to Pay For Care, Medicine Hits New High
https://news.gallup.com/poll/658148/inability-pay-care-medicine-hits-new-high.aspx
Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!
Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Measles, Pharma and Mistrust: A Conversation with MAHA Moms and Dr. Paul Offit
Why Should I Trust You?
02/20/25 • 60 min
This week, in his first speech addressing the Department of Health and Human Services as its new chief, RFK Jr. said the path to the country earning back trust was through transparency.
As Kennedy was saying these words to a packed audience, Texas was clocking in more measles cases, in what is turning out to be its worst measles outbreak in 30 years. With rising mistrust in public health and declining vaccination rates, measles - a disease we eradicated over 20 years ago is making a comeback, worrying many in public health.
But two MAHA moms in their fifties we heard from on today's episode ask a question we are increasingly hearing more often these days: what's the big deal about measles? Both these moms got it as children and recovered, missed a few days of school and then had lifelong immunity. Is public health over reacting? They point to a classic Brady Bunch episode where the kids all catch measles, reflecting how the virus was once considered a rite of passage, a harmless childhood illness. If anything, doesn't getting a disease strengthen the immune system?
Before the vaccine, measles claimed the lives of 500 children every year and hospitalized tens of thousands more, and sometimes led to severe complications in kids many years after they got sick.
But now that we have a vaccine, what’s the real risk of measles today? And why is the measles vaccine -- while still popular among the vast majority of this country -- losing the trust of a small but growing group of Americans? In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Paul Offit, a leading expert on childhood vaccines, to explore the questions surrounding measles and dig into the facts about pharmaceutical funding while aiming to model a more constructive conversation.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guests:
Yesenia Muhammad, Atlanta, MAHA Mom
Melinda Hicks, Atlanta, MAHA Mom
Dr. Paul Offit, pediatrician, infectious disease and vaccine specialist
Sources:
States looking to create exemptions for public school vaccine mandates:
Public Attitudes on the MMR vaccine:
CDC numbers on risk from Measles
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/symptoms/complications.html#
Measles compromises immune memory
Measles virus infection diminishes preexisting antibodies that offer protection from other pathogens
Clinical Trial data on MMR:
Clinical evaluation of a new measles-mumps-rubella trivalent vac
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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Censorship vs. Science: The Fight Over Free Speech That Is Tearing Us Apart
Why Should I Trust You?
03/06/25 • 83 min
During incoming NIH secretary Dr. Jay Bhattacharya's confirmation hearing this week, he vowed to "establish a culture of respect for free speech in science & scientific dissent at the NIH"; he went on to call dissent "the very essence of science". Dr. Bhattacharya has been one of the most outspoken critics of what he perceives to be censorship and the deliberate muzzling of scientists during Covid.
Today, we dive into the complex and contentious issue of censorship—one of the biggest drivers of mistrust in public health. Was it justified for the government to pressure social media companies to remove posts about COVID-19 and vaccines that they deemed dangerous misinformation? Or did that cross a line into stifling free speech?
today, with the Trump administration now overseeing public health, issuing new executive orders aimed at limiting DEI programs, language and studies throughout the federal government.
Do these actions cross the line into censoring science? Why are we caught in a battle between science and free speech, and how did we get here? And how do we move forward?
To help explore these questions, we’re joined by two individuals from very different backgrounds who emerged as important voices during the pandemic: Wilk Wilkinson, a trucking company manager in Central Minnesota and host of the Derate The Hate podcast who has joined forces with scientists such as Dr Francis Collins and Dr Jay Bhattacharya on various topics; and Dr. Maciej Boni, a biology professor at Temple University and infectious disease epidemiologist who worked on the front lines of various outbreaks, from swine flu, bird flu to Covid-19.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guests:
Wilk Wilkinson, Braver Angels leader; Host of Derate the Hate podcast; manager of trucking operations
Dr. Maciej Boni, professor of biology at Temple University; infectious disease epidemiologist
Sources:
Mark Zuckerberg’s letter to Rep. Jim Jordan
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/PDFFiles/Mark-Zuckerberg-Letter-on-Govt-Censorship.pdf
Rep. Jim Jordan’s investigation into Biden’s “Censorship Scheme”
Free speech and content moderation
Supreme Court: Murthy v. Missouri
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/whats-stake-us-supreme-court-case-misinformation
Supreme Court: Missouri v. Biden
Biden & Social Media
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/us/politics/biden-facebook-social-media-covid.html
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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
What's the End Game? We Talk Massive Remaking of HHS with Gov't Reformer Jennifer Pahlka
Why Should I Trust You?
04/03/25 • 52 min
Health and Human Services chief RFK Jr. unleashed much-anticipated cuts this week, bringing the total to 20,000 jobs slashed from our nation’s premier health institution. This follows cuts in money for state public health agencies and funding freezes for research centers tackling everything from cancer to veterans' health. Secretary Kennedy says this is to streamline government agencies' practices which he says will ultimately make America healthy again.
For too long, both parties ran the show without challenging the status quo. Meanwhile, trust in public health on behalf of a public desperate for action was plummeting. How much did that lack of change pave the way for the radical shift we’re seeing now?
To help make sense of it all, we speak with Jennifer Pahlka—author, technologist, and government reformer. A pioneer in bringing tech-driven innovation to government long before DOGE was a glint in Elon Musk’s eye, Pahlka has a lot to say about government efficiency, streamlining bureaucracy, and where these cuts might be leading us.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guest:
Jennifer Pahlka, author Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age, and How We Can Do Better; former U.S. deputy chief technology officer under President Barack Obama where she helped set up the U.S. Digital Service.
Sources:
Fortune on Pahlka and DOGE cuts
https://fortune.com/2025/03/05/doge-co-founder-digital-service-jennifer-pahlka-code-for-america
Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2025/01/elon-musk-doge-government-efficiency/681366/
Pahlka op-ed NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/opinion/democrats-elon-musk-doge.html
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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
Is it True You Can't Sue a Vaccine Manufacturer? We Ask a Vaccine Legal Scholar
Why Should I Trust You?
02/13/25 • 46 min
A major source of mistrust in public health today is the belief that you can't sue a vaccine manufacturer if you suffer an adverse reaction. Many ask: Why should I trust vaccines if I can't hold vaccine makers accountable? For them, it sounds un-American, heavily biased toward Big Pharma, and proof that the system is rigged. It is something that the incoming health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spoken about often.
But is it true?
In this episode, we sit down with Dorit Reiss, a legal scholar specializing in vaccines and the law, to separate fact from fiction. We dive into why vaccine makers were ever granted any shield from liability to begin with. And we look at where America ultimately landed on this issue, by unpacking the facts and tracing the history. What we found surprised us.
We asked: what recourse do people have if they experience a rare side effect and want accountability from a vaccine maker? What avenues exist today and do they work? Is our understandable desire to have available vaccines -- which have saved hundreds of millions of lives -- allowing room for a fair process to hold vaccine makers accountable for adverse reactions?
Plus, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now becomes the new leader of the Department of Health and Human Services, what potential changes could he bring to the vaccine landscape?
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guest:
Dorit Reiss, Professor of Law, University of California Law San Francisco; vaccine law specialist
Sources:
GAO report 2024 on how Covid vaccine compensation program is fairing
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107368
New York Times from November 1986 on Reagan
Paul Offit on vaccine compensation history
https://pauloffit.substack.com/p/a-dangerous-time-for-americas-children-3bb
Washington Post 1987
Time Magazine 2015
https://time.com/3995062/vaccine-injury-court-truth/
Newsweek 2023
https://www.newsweek.com/surge-vaccine-lawsuits-forces-biden-admin-hire-more-attorneys-1843385
Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!
Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Big Pharma? We Ask a Bioethicist
Why Should I Trust You?
03/13/25 • 71 min
"Big Pharma" — two words that Americans love to hate. When asked about the pharmaceutical industry, most of the country responds with a mix of anger and suspicion, using terms like "corporate capture," "revolving door," and "profits over people" to describe its influence, a sentiment felt even stronger after the pandemic. And yet, we are a nation that depends on their life-saving, life-improving products. Americans demand innovation from Big Pharma, but are simultaneously frustrated and mistrustful of their motives and influence. Today, we delve into our complex relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. What fuels this mistrust? Is there a better system? Joining us is bioethicist, author, and TED Talk star hailing from Penn State University Jonathan Marks, who believes it doesn’t have to be this way.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guest:
Jonathan Marks, Director of Bioethics Program at Penn State University, lawyer, author The Perils of Partnership: Industry Influence, Institutional Integrity, and Public Health
Sources:
2019 pharma ranked least well regarded industry
https://news.gallup.com/poll/266060/big-pharma-sinks-bottom-industry-rankings.aspx
2023 Gallup on pharma
https://news.gallup.com/poll/510641/retail-pharmaceutical-industries-slip-public-esteem.aspx
Lessons from Corporate Influence in the Opioid Epidemic https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32661741/
STAT on financial donations to Congress
https://www.statnews.com/feature/prescription-politics/federal-full-data-set/
NIH funds drug research
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5878010/
TED TALK: Jonathan Marks: In Praise of Conflict
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf8j5LFv3nI
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A CIA Declaration, Subpoenas, & Fauci’s Pardon: Why the Lab Leak Debate is Still Raging On
Why Should I Trust You?
02/06/25 • 70 min
With the CIA now siding with the "lab leak" theory, President Trump reportedly considering cuts to “risky” virus research, Republican Senator Rand Paul firing off subpoenas, and President Biden’s pre-emptive pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the fierce debate over COVID’s origins is only intensifying. And while many believe we’re no closer to an answer, the fight itself is deepening our national crisis of trust in science.
In this episode, we sit down with David Wallace-Wells, science columnist for The New York Times who has written extensively about the origins of Covid, and Robert F. Garry, a leading virologist who found himself at the center of this storm after publishing a paper on COVID’s origins and being hauled in front of Congress.
We explore how what began as a scientific question spiraled into a full-blown political battle, fueling a growing mistrust in science five years after COVID emerged.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari
Tom Johnson
Maggie Bartlett
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
Guests:
David Wallace Wells, science columnist, New York Times; author, The Uninhabitable Earth
Robert Garry, virologist; professor of microbiology/immunology/assistant dean, Tulane University School of Medicine
Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/opinion/covid-lab-leak-theory.html
https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/45389-americans-believe-covid-origin-lab?redirect_from=%2Ftopics%2Fpolitics%2Farticles-reports%2F2023%2F03%2F10%2Famericans-believe-covid-origin-lab
Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!
Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
How Covid Radicalized Us All
Why Should I Trust You?
01/09/25 • 85 min
It's been 5 years since the pandemic and America's trust in public health, medicine, and science has plummeted. It's no secret that the COVID-19 response left a significant portion of Americans seething mad. Now, as the Trump administration, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the charge, prepares to take control of public health, and with the emergence of a new virus posing a growing threat, Brinda, Maggie, and Tom dig beneath the poll numbers and declining vaccination rates to explore what happens when so many Americans begin to question mainstream science. We speak with a suburban mom and lifelong Democrat about her personal health journey, her experience during the pandemic, and ultimately how her views on science and health led her to vote this time for Donald Trump.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari, former executive producer of The Problem with Jon Stewart on AppleTV+; former ABC News and CBS News
Tom Johnson, former executive producer of The Circus, on Showtime/Paramount+, former Bloomberg, ABC News
Dr. Maggie Bartlett: virologist, assistant research professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Guests:
Melinda Hicks, former TV producer, Atlanta, GA
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, skin cancer surgeon, dermatologist, physician
Sources we used for data:
TRUST IN PHYSICIANS DURING COVID
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11292455/
DECLINE OF CHILDHOOD VACCINATION RATES
https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/childhood-vaccination-rates-continue-to-decline-as-trump-heads-for-a-second-term/
PUBLIC TRUST IN SCIENTISTS
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/ps_2024-11-14_trust-in-science_00-01/
VIEWS ON CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS
https://news.gallup.com/poll/648308/far-fewer-regard-childhood-vaccinations-important.aspx#:~:text=--%20Fewer%20Americans%20today%20consider,2019%20and%2064%25%20in%202001
CDC DATA ON MEASLES UPTICK
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
WHERE WE FIRST READ ABOUT MELINDA:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/us/trump-public-health-dr-oz-rfk-jr.html
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Trailer! Why Should I Trust You?
Why Should I Trust You?
01/02/25 • 0 min
Hi everyone! Welcome to Why Should I Trust You?, a new weekly podcast looking at why so many Americans have lost trust in science and public health. Hosted by two former TV news journalists and a virologist, each week we will hear from those who mistrust mainstream science and also hear from those who ARE mainstream science. Join us as we take on everything from vaccines to doctor-patient relationships to what science has to say when there is uncertainty -- and how we can move forward together. Beginning in early January 2025!
Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!
Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]
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FAQ
How many episodes does Why Should I Trust You? have?
Why Should I Trust You? currently has 17 episodes available.
What topics does Why Should I Trust You? cover?
The podcast is about Covid, News, News Commentary, Podcasts, Science and Pandemic.
What is the most popular episode on Why Should I Trust You??
The episode title 'How Covid Radicalized Us All' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Why Should I Trust You??
The average episode length on Why Should I Trust You? is 62 minutes.
How often are episodes of Why Should I Trust You? released?
Episodes of Why Should I Trust You? are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Why Should I Trust You??
The first episode of Why Should I Trust You? was released on Jan 2, 2025.
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