The White Hats of Social Media Push Back on Misinformation
(Left to right) Mikhail ‘Dr. Mike’ Varshavski, Dr. Andrea Love, historian Kevin Kruse and engineer Emily Calandrelli are among a new breed of ‘white hat’ social media influencers who use their followings and platforms to push back against misinformation.
The Integrity Project
In classic Westerns, the good guys wore white hats and the villains wore black. It was a visual shorthand: white hats meant honor, justice, and doing the right thing — no matter how messy the frontier got. Over time, the term migrated from the dusty plains of cowboy cinema to the glow of computer screens. In hacker culture, “white hats” came to mean ethical tech experts who protect systems instead of exploiting them.
Now, in the digital “Wild West” of social media, the metaphor has evolved again.
Today’s white hats aren’t just coding behind the scenes — they’re on the front lines of the information war. They’re doctors debunking viral health myths on TikTok, scientists translating research into plain English on podcasts, and historians correcting conspiracy theories one tweet at a time. They use their platforms not to confuse or inflame—but to inform, contextualize, and connect.
This piece is about those people. The ones trying to save the digital town from the chaos the black hats leave behind—and why we need a lot more of them.
A Modern Frontier
In an age where information spreads faster than any disease, it matters who holds the microphone. And far too often, it’s the loudest voices — not the most informed — who dominate our feeds. The rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who now heads the Department of Health and Human Services, is a cautionary tale in how easily misinformation, monetized outrage, and conspiratorial thinking can go viral.
But there’s another story quietly unfolding — a story of resistance, resilience, and responsibility. It's the story of the white hats of social media: doctors, scientists, historians, legal scholars, and everyday educators who use their platforms to push back against the tide of lies.
New Digital Deputies
Take Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, better known to millions as “Dr. Mike.” A board-certified physician with more than 10 million YouTube subscribers, Dr. Mike has built his brand not on controversy or sensationalism, but on clarity and trust. When he criticized Secretary Kennedy’s long history of promoting medical misinformation on Fox News this past week, he did so not just as a physician—but as one of a growing number of digital influencers using their platform to heal public understanding instead of poisoning it.
And he’s not alone. Immunologist Dr. Andrea Love co-hosts "Unbiased Science," a podcast that calmly and rigorously dismantles vaccine myths and health hoaxes, often taking on trending disinformation narratives in real time. Epidemiologist Dr. Katrine Wallace (@epidemiologistkat) uses TikTok to break down studies, explain public health concepts, and debunk claims—often in under a minute. Gastroenterologist Dr. Austin Chiang, one of the first Chief Medical Social Media Officers in the U.S., uses Instagram and TikTok to educate on colon cancer screening, gut health, and the harm of medical myths.
Science communicators also play a crucial role. Emily Calandrelli (@thespacegal), an MIT-trained engineer and host of Netflix's "Emily's Wonder Lab," makes space science and physics fun and accessible while regularly correcting public misconceptions. Hank Green, co-founder of Crash Course and SciShow, has turned YouTube into a classroom for millions, addressing misinformation about a wide range of topics with patience, humor, and clarity—even while undergoing treatment for cancer himself.
Historians and legal experts have also joined the front lines. Princeton professor Kevin Kruse (@KevinMKruse) uses his platform to dismantle revisionist takes on civil rights, race, and American democracy with source-based threads. Professor Jelani Cobb, now dean of the Columbia Journalism School, regularly connects historical narratives to current events, offering critical context that is often missing from the mainstream feed. Attorney Marc Elias (@marceelias) has used social media to challenge false claims about voter fraud, and former LDF president Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) consistently exposes misrepresentations in legal and civil rights discourse.
The Lone Rangers
These individuals don’t just correct falsehoods—they offer something better. They build trust without deception. They explain nuance without condescension. They are, in many ways, doing the work that institutions have too often failed to do: meeting people where they are, in the chaos of the algorithm, with reason and empathy.
Yet their efforts often come at a cost. Truth-tellers don’t go viral as easily as provocateurs. Their platforms aren’t supercharged by outrage, and their audiences can be slower to build. They face harassment, coordinated discrediting efforts, and even threats to their safety. Despite that, they persist—often with little institutional support.
Putting Together a Posse
Which raises a pressing question: Why aren’t we supporting them more?
Institutions — universities, public health agencies, nonprofits, philanthropy — must do more than issue press releases and peer-reviewed papers. They need to amplify credible influencers, invest in their training and visibility, and understand that a well-timed TikTok can do more for public understanding than a dozen white papers. In an increasingly digital world, the truth needs better influencers. Not more followers—more leaders.
Some groups are starting to respond. The Public Good Projects has partnered with health departments to elevate trusted messengers. The #ScienceUpFirst campaign in Canada mobilized doctors and researchers to counter COVID misinformation with concise, shareable content. But these are still exceptions, not the norm.
The information war isn’t coming. It’s here. And the best defense against a weaponized lie is a trusted voice who knows how to tell the truth well.
If disinformers like RFK Jr. are playing chess, it’s time for the rest of us to stop playing checkers.
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