Media Creators, Health Mis/Disinformation, and the Past and Present Failures of US Media Governance

This article details the similarities between Anthony William, alternative health social media creator and so-called Medical Medium, and John Romulus Brinkley, the infamous radio charlatan, goat-gland surgeon, and Milford Messiah of the 1920s and 1930s. Like Brinkley, William uses health mis/disinformation to brand himself, promote products, and build a massive following. Also like Brinkley, William benefits from the failures of US media governance to hold figures accountable for their false health content and deceptive advertising practices. The US media governance context, among other factors, creates favorable conditions for creators to leverage social media to financially and reputationally gain from spreading health mis/disinformation.