Why the Media Pushes Public Health Myths

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 Communications Commission’s (FCC) threat to revoke broadcast licenses over war coverage the White House dislikes, before analyzing Vice President J.D. Vance’s effort to position himself as an Iran war skeptic inside the White House. Then, the editors answer a listener’s question about whether the Department of Homeland Security still serves a useful purpose as a centralized hub for intelligence sharing. Finally, the panel remembers Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty by reflecting on his enormous influence as a historian of the libertarian movement.

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0:00—The myth of overpopulation panic

19:22—The FCC threatens broadcasters over war coverage

24:05—Vance positions himself as an Iran war skeptic

31:46—Listener question on Department of Homeland Security

38:55—Remembering Brian Doherty

46:59—Weekly cultural recommendations

Mentioned in the podcast:

“Population Doomster and False Prophet of Ecological Apocalypse Paul Ehrlich Has Died,” by Ronald Bailey

“60 Minutes Promotes Paul Ehrlich’s Failed Doomsaying One More Time,” by Ronald Bailey

“Civilization Is Doomed, Says Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich (Again),” by Ronald Bailey

“Population Doomster Paul Ehrlich’s New Forecast: ‘Biological Annihilation,'” by Ronald Bailey

“Doomster Paul Ehrlich Unrepentant: ‘My language would be even more apocalyptic today.'” By Ronald Bailey

“Betting on Humanity’s Future,” by Ronald Bailey

“Paul Ehrlich Sounds the Trump of Doom Again: And This Time It’s A ‘Consensus,'” by Ronald Bailey

“Paul Ehrlich Goes Up Against ‘Well-Funded, Merciless Enemies’ to Save the Earth from Certain Destruction. Again,” by Katherine Mangu-Ward

“Julian Simon Was Right: Ingenuity Leads to Abundance,” by J.D. Tuccille

“FCC Chair Threatens Media Outlets That Don’t Report Good Iran War News,” by Joe Lancaster

“Trump Wants To Cover Up Bad News About the Iran War,” by Matthew Petti

“Trump and Vance Promised ‘No New Wars.’ What Happened To That?” by Steven Greenhut

“Homeland Insecurity,” by Brian Doherty

“Abolish the Department of Homeland Security,” by Nick Gillespie and Justin Zuckerman

“Brian Doherty, Historian of the Libertarian Movement, Dead at 57,” by Matt Welch

“Remembering Brian Doherty, Chronicler of and Participant in Wild and Wonderful Subcultures,” by Nick Gillespie

“Brian Doherty: The fascinating women and weirdos who founded libertarianism,” by Nick Gillespie

“I Dreamed I Saw Joey Ramone Last Night: The P.C. eulogizing of a punk rocker,” by Nick Gillespie and Brian Doherty

“Me and the Orgone—The True Story of One Man’s Sexual Awakening,” by Orson Bean

“Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley: More People Means More Wealth,” by Nick Gillespie

“One Battle After Another Lets Leftist Radicals Off the Hook,” by Peter Suderman

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser