JAMA Network Open – Exposure to health misinformation, defined in a US Surgeon General Advisory as incorrect or misleading health information according to the best available evidence at the time, has increasingly spread through social media platforms, online forums, and smaller media outlets.¹ 

About The Study: From 2021 to 2024, government and health organizations accounted for about one-tenth of the $336 million in estimated advertising payments made to 11 news websites identified for publishing health misinformation. Noteworthy advertisers included federal health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer, although their individual contributions represented a small share of all payments.

Media advisory: The full study is linked to this news release.

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 11 A.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2026

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Joseph S. Ross, MD, MHS, email joseph.ross@yale.edu.

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.5068)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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