Journalists hold a large sway over public opinion in their communities, but reporting that unintentionally perpetuates stigma can result in life-threatening barriers for people who use drugs, have a substance use disorder, or are in recovery.

There are barriers to improving this type of coverage that reach beyond the field of journalism itself, but if we work together, we can make change. In this discussion, led by the collaborative project Reporting on Addiction, we’ll bring together addiction science experts, people with lived experience, activists and journalists to discuss ways we can work across our fields to overcome these barriers and, in turn, improve reporting on addiction.