Navigating the Misinformation Era: A Conversation with Fortune Well’s Lindsey Leake

A Report from the Curley Media Center of Excellence by Lucia Peth 

In today’s world, where misinformation can shape headlines and public perception, trustworthy reporting has never been more important – especially in the health and wellness space. This week, Curley Company invited our clients and industry colleagues to sit down with Lindsey Leake, an award-winning health and wellness reporter at Fortune Well, for a candid conversation on how she uses data to cut through the noise and deliver accurate, impactful stories. Here are our top takeaways from the conversation: 

Provide Well-Sourced and Verifiable Data to Combat Misinformation.  

Legitimate, credible data is critical – providing the raw data or source builds trust with reporters and in turn helps reporters build trust with their audiences. Fact checking departments in news organizations are becoming rare, so as a communicator, reinforce your role as a credible source by providing cited information that can be verified. 

Science and Data are Not Static.   

Evolve with the data and provide updates when necessary. Just because we’ve learned something new doesn’t mean what was communicated previously was “wrong.” Communicating the evolution of data to readers can impart current knowledge — without disparaging the past which could adversely impact credibility or trust. 

Leverage Data Visualization to tell Compelling Stories.  

Data visualization is a tool that can take complex, deep issues and break them into smaller, digestible individual stories – data can tell a fun story and present new angles when broken down, and visualization presents an opportunity to bring it to life.  For example, visualizations are an opportunity to find a new story line, further engage with readers and emphasize important takeaways. And to reinforce credibility, raw data should always be linked to the source. 

Lean into Lindsey’s 2025 Trends. 

• Have Faith in Your Reader.  People are paying attention. They are savvy consumers of data and information. Treat them as such by presenting the facts, citing your source, and providing a credible and compelling spokesperson. 

• Tell People-First Stories. A journalist’s job is to translate complex topics for a general audience, without losing the important details. People-centered stories are an important vehicle in bringing these complex topics to life, demonstrating the real, tangible impacts of health trends, policy decisions, and innovation. 

• Newsjacking Still Works. Journalists and editors are keen to get ahead of the trends – will a trending story be at the top of Google in 3 days?  Monitor trends in the news to gauge what’s top of mind for audiences and determine how your spokespeople can be a source. 

We work with media to help combat misinformation on behalf of our clients every single day. We’d love to help our readers with any issues they’re facing!