On media and messaging: fighting fear with facts as the science of chronic traumatic encephalopathy evolves

In July 2025, a man killed four people in a New York City building that houses the National Football League (NFL) headquarters before turning the gun on himself.His suicide note blamed the NFL for concealing the dangers of American football, which he had played through high school.He asked to be evaluated for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is primarily associated with extensive exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI).Results of an autopsy released in September 2025 confirmed that his brain had "low stages" of CTE.The media pounced, and this tragedy became another missed opportunity to transparently communicate current scientific knowledge to all athletes and their communities.It is both possible and necessary to convey established risks and advocate for safer play without fueling fear and hopelessness that inspires avoidable tragedy.The media has played an important role in raising awareness and supporting culture change to improve safety in sports -now, we can all contribute to leveraging popular press platforms to translate science for broad audiences.Clinicians and researchers who interact with athletes need to be equipped with a balanced and nuanced understanding of what is known, what is not yet known, and the extent to which current knowledge can answer the most pressing questions. What is CTE?CTE is a neuropathological diagnosis.It is defined by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in neurons, with or without this protein in astrocytes, and this tau in neurons is located around small blood vessels in the depths of the sulci in the brain.CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem by searching the brain under a microscope for pathognomonic lesions 1 that distinguish CTE from other pathological processes.Some investigators use a 4-stage system to characterize pathology burden, but pending validation, Correspondence: Kristen Dams-O'Connor; damsok02