Dear All,

As I write this, at least some of us are likely to still be in some form of lockdown or quarantine. I pray that you and your families are all managing to stay as sane as possible, and I sincerely hope that you all stay safe and healthy.

In this first edition of 2021’s Medical Writing, I am delighted to present a piece from Filippo Vitale and colleagues. This is a truly fascinating article that discusses how we have communicated science and scientific facts throughout history and how changes in society have affected how this is done and the outcomes that this has produced.

I found this article extremely thought provoking (and at times a sad reflection of where we have come to as a global society) as the authors document and explain concepts like “clickbait” and “fake news”. Whilst it was truly educational to understand the evolution of these concepts, I totally echo the authors’ call to arms in their plea for us to be more aware of these phenomena and to do our utmost to counter them. As medical writers, we are uniquely placed to do this, and I consider it our duty to do so. What a way to start a new year!

In the meantime, stay safe and sane wherever you are, and see you in the next issue!

Bestest, Lisa