Health Communication, Trust, and Inequality in a Changing Media Landscape

How people encounter, interpret, and act on health information is shaped, at least in part, by the dynamics of an increasingly fluid media environment. The rise of digital platforms, the fragmentation of traditional media, and the proliferation of health misinformation have fundamentally altered the relationship between health institutions and the publics they serve. At the same time, persistent inequalities in access, literacy, and representation mean that the benefits and harms of these changes are unevenly distributed across populations. Anchored to World Health Day 2026, this Research Topic offers a timely opportunity to examine the communication practices that shape public understanding of health, illness, prevention, healing, and care, and to ask who is heard, who is reached, and who is left behind.Trust is a central challenge in contemporary health communication. Public confidence in health institutions, scientific expertise, and media reporting has eroded in many contexts, with consequences for vaccine uptake, adherence to public health guidance, and engagement with health services. Misinformation and disinformation circulate at speed across digital platforms, often outpacing corrective messaging and exploiting existing social divisions. These dynamics are compounded by structural inequalities where marginalized communities frequently face barriers to accessing reliable health information, encounter culturally incongruent messaging, and are underrepresented in the design and delivery of health communication interventions.This Research Topic aims to bring together research that advances understanding of how communication processes build, sustain, or undermine trust in health contexts, and how these processes intersect with social, cultural, and economic inequalities. It seeks contributions that bridge theory and application, offering evidence-based insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to improve health communication in diverse and unequal societies.This Research Topic invites empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions that examine the production, circulation, interpretation, and contestation of health messages in contemporary societies. Submissions should address the interplay between communication and health outcomes, with attention to questions of trust, equity, and the changing media landscape.Suggested themes include, but are not limited to:• public health messaging and institutional trust• health misinformation, disinformation, and corrective strategies• digital and social media as spaces for health information and engagement• patient–provider communication and shared decision-making• health communication campaigns: design, delivery, and evaluation• risk communication in public health emergencies• communication barriers and health inequalities across marginalized populations• cultural and cross-cultural dimensions of health communication• the role of AI, algorithms, and emerging technologies in health information environments• media framing of health, illness, and health policy• community-based and participatory approaches to health communicationManuscripts may include Original Research, Systematic Review, Brief Research Report, Perspective, and Opinion pieces. Contributions that adopt interdisciplinary approaches and address diverse global contexts are particularly encouraged.Information and Instructions for AuthorsManuscript summaries (Frontiers' name for abstracts) of up to 500 words will be considered until October 15, 2026. Authors are encouraged to submit a manuscript summary before submitting a full manuscript. Topic editors: Rukhsana Ahmed, Mohan Jyoti Dutta Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81543/health-communication-trust-and-inequality-in-a-changing-media-landscape