The Csis Podcast

In this crossover episode with Coronavirus Crisis Update, we are joined by Dr. Michael Osterholm, head of CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, one of the most popular, respected, and trusted communicators on the pandemic. What is the recipe?  Simplicity rules. He learned from his rural Iowa background, “if something doesn’t play at the 10:00 o’clock coffee club at the S&T Café on the main street of my little town, then it’s not going to play.” Be frank and honest: “Always tell the truth.” If dark things such as variants lie in the future, do not shy away from spotlighting them. But be careful of forecasting too far into the future, which can at times be based on “pixie dust.” Appeal to both “hearts and minds.” “Kindness is one of the most important virtues.” In his lauded and highly successful podcast, ‘The Osterholm Report: Covid-19,’ he is able to “combine science, policy, and life all in one venue.” The anti-vaccine movement has gained substantial strength; witness the ‘Defeat the Mandates’ rally on Janu