Surgeon General Declares Misinformation Civic Duty

The U.S. Surgeon General frames limiting health misinformation as a 'moral and civic imperative,' urging broad public participation to slow its spread during COVID‑19 and beyond. That language elevates misinformation from a media problem to a collective civic responsibility and a policy domain for public‑health agencies. — Framing misinformation as a civic duty broadens who is seen as responsible (individuals, platforms, institutions) and legitimizes new institutional responses, enforcement expectations, and social‑norm interventions.