Research is my way of understanding the way the world works. It is integral to everything I do now and how I will apply public health concepts in the future.

This project aims to examine the rhetoric used by major US media sources before, during, and after the height of the Zika epidemic. Zika was declared one of the largest public health threats in 2016, but now it is hardly mentioned in the news. The magnitude of panic surrounding the Zika threat and the quantity of aid administered were vastly disproportionate to what was necessary. This study of news publications gives insight into why Zika misconceptions gained such traction and how public alarm was perpetuated.