MAHA Who?

THIS WEEK: Covering MAHA

So what does MAHA even mean?

The loosely defined catch-all phrase seems to have a myriad of — sometimes diametrically opposed — definitions.

Here are a few of them:

• A political ploy disconnected to real efforts to improve American health standards

• A bunch of savvy social media mavens who profit off of real fears that public officials don’t actually care about the health of their constituents

• The overlap between spiritual progressives and conservative Christians who have come together over their health concerns

• A vaccine-obsessed movement that exploded when RFK Jr. messaged to a bunch of mothers (with unsubstantiated info on the health risks of vaccines) that he heard them

• A bad answer to a good question

…All to say, when the term shows up in the news, it does not help audiences really understand the complex sentiments most Americans have about our healthcare system, or lack thereof….

So…when telling MAHA health stories:

• Don’t oversimplify.

  MAHA folk don’t all believe the same thing. If you are quoting self-identified MAHA’s, tell your audience exactly what they believe.

• Don’t used loaded words like toxins, chemicals, or corruption.

  Instead, report claims with language that describes the actual complaints, where they come from, and whether there is any substantiated evidence related to them.

• Don’t report false claims as if they were accurate.

  Instead, indicate what sources believe versus what experts report.

• Don’t overlook political or economic incentives.

  Instead, explain what they are. Businesses and some politicians now use MAHA as a catchphrase to sell products and get votes.

• Don’t pit junk science against real science.

  Instead, if people are disputing the science, unpack that.

Some good reading on the MAHA phenomenon

• Your guide to who’s who in the MAHA Movement

• MAHA: the numbers

• The MAHA Report - what is it, anyway?

• Don’t ask ChatGPT about your health!

• Measles in America: Who exactly are the unvaccinated?

• SNAP: more rotisserie chicken, less soda, and other ways fans of deregulation want to regulate what poor people eat.

Also in the News

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Taxes? No!

Dems getting religion

We’re Reading:

KFF’s Health News haikus - see bottom of Morning Briefing

Comic Relief

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