Health Communication at a Crossroads as the Journal of Health Communication Begins Its 4 th Decade of Publication

As the Journal of Health Communication enters its fourth decade in 2026, the field confronts a period of profound transformation. AI, platform-mediated communication, and the fragmenting of information environments reshape health communication and information amid persistent global inequities and declining governing confidence. This editorial reflects on the Journal's legacy while articulating a vision that centers the quality, governance, and social responsibilities of the discipline. We argue for a shift beyond individual-level models toward greater attention to institutional accountability, health literacy as a systemic model, and the communicative consequences of digital and AI-driven systems. Reaffirming a commitment to methodological rigor and global perspectives, we invite scholarship that advances theory and practice in response to the evolving conditions that now define health communication.