Dear Readers,

When we launched STAT more than a decade ago, our mission statement promised that we would deliver “trusted, tough-minded journalism.” Little did we know that trust would be at the core of everything we do.

We hadn’t anticipated the Covid-19 pandemic, when tens of millions of readers turned to STAT for deeply sourced, science-based coverage they could trust. Nor could we have imagined the crisis of trust that has become a defining issue in science. Trust has been shaken in all kinds of ways: by the response to the pandemic, by high-profile scientific misconduct, by politicization of health agencies and demonization of their leaders, by the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, and by so much more. Distrust is not always irrational; in too many cases, it reflects real failures of institutions — yes, that sometimes means the press — to be transparent, inclusive, or accountable.

We think STAT can do even more to tackle this head-on. To that end, we have established two new roles: a trust-in-science reporter and an editor. After a search that drew more applicants than any newsroom position in our history, we have hired Nicholas Florko, who for six years was an award-winning reporter at STAT before working for the last two years as a staff writer at The Atlantic. He has a track record of covering big, important stories, from the failures of America’s food safety system to a searing investigation chronicling the deaths of hundreds of incarcerated people from hepatitis C despite the availability of effective treatments.

Describing his new beat, Nick said, “I want to explore the origins of misinformation, how it spreads, and what can be done to counter it. I will bring compassion to this role. Far too much coverage of declining trust in science — particularly the anti-vaccine movement — is predicated on the assumption that its adherents are either stupid or crazy. In reality, many are concerned parents overwhelmed by a desire to protect their child. I’m eager to begin work on a range of stories that I hope will inform, entertain, and challenge readers.’’

I’m grateful that you read STAT, and I hope you’ll avail yourself of all of our exclusive journalism by buying a subscription to STAT+. Right now, you can get your first three months of STAT+ for just $30. Besides access to our impactful investigations and other stories, you also can also get discounts to our events around the country.

Recent days have brought STAT+ subscribers exclusive reporting on:

• A health care cost crisis forcing public employers into impossible trade-offs
• The IRS probing UnitedHealth over billions funneled through a foreign subsidiary
• Epic facing an antitrust probe, executive exits, and a looming succession question

Beyond Nick’s coverage, we will produce other stories and First Opinion essays on issues of trust. Just today, we published a profile of an immunologist who has become a leading voice against misinformation after growing up in an anti-vaccine family.

Our trust-in-science work is being supported by the Dana, Greenwall, John Templeton, and Boston foundations. And you can be sure that the issue will be an important theme at our flagship STAT Summit in Boston (and virtual) on Oct. 14-15. Nick will be on stage, as will many of our other award-winning reporters, who will interview the people behind some of the year’s most talked-about headlines, from executives and policymakers to scientists and patient advocates.

Thank you for your support, and please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions. I’m at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Rick Berke