Unspun is critical thinking about the news. Hear real examples, past and present, of newsmakers attempting to mislead you and understand how they manipulate the truth. Learn how to avoid being swayed by fake news and misinformation. Get Unspun, because you deserve the truth.
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What it takes for a reporter to get the story (Episode 25)
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Sometimes to get to the truth, a reporter just has to start knocking on doors. In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg talks to award-winning journalist Joe Bruno about his work uncovering a voter fraud scheme in North Carolina. Plus, warm up is back with several examples of the fallacy of authority for you to try your skills. Learn more about the scheme an…
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Are First Impressions on Social Media Always Right? Understanding Bias in Judging Others
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Why do people do and say the things they do? Whether it's running a red light or asking to talk to the manager, when you observe people's actions, there's a risk of misunderstanding that can make the world even more divided. Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on a common thinking error that can give you trouble in making interpersonal judgements. F…
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How AI might affect elections - I'm not optimistic (with Lee Raine) - Episode 24
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As a tireless producer of information, including disinformation, AI poses real risks to elections going forward. As we find ourselves at a crossroad with machines that seem like they can think, Lee Rainie, director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center and Dr. Sturg talk about several AI-related issues on the horizon. Plus, Dr. Sturg talks abo…
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News in a bubble: the risks of letting other people choose what news you know about (Episode 23.5)
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If you are getting most of your news from evening cable shows or podcasts, you're not alone. But you're also probably not as well-informed as you think you are. In this episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down curation of news and how it affects your knowledge about what's going on. Letting other people decide what stories are important can be useful or even…
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UnSpun Rewind: Are polls worth anything any more?
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Do high-profile debates truly shift opinions or votes? On this episode, Dr. Sturg gets into the studies to see if debates produce real changes. From Kennedy-Nixon to Romney-Obama, she looks at famous debates and explores what the research says about impacts on voters. She also looks the logical flaw of hasty generalization, using debate slip-ups as…
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Why is social media the worst way to get breaking news (Ep. 22.5)
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Why did it seem like everyone in the media thought Biden's debate performance concerned democrats? And how does telling a good story get in the way of the truth? In this episode, Dr. Sturg goes over the cozy relationship between politicians and the journalists who cover and explains the narrative bias. It's a tendency to fit facts into a story, and…
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How newsmakers using fear affects how you see the world: UnSpun Rewind (feat. Dr. Seth Norrholm
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UnSpun Rewind in honor of the political convention in the US this week. Are things as bad as the politicians say? Are they the only ones who can save us? Dr. Sturg breaks down the Appeal to Fear trick and guest Dr. Seth Norrholm talks about what being made afraid does to your thinking and judgment. "Nothing happened" doesn't make for much of a head…
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Christian Spiritual Warfare Becoming Political Violence (Episode 22 feat: Dr. Matt Taylor)
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What's a "good" parent or a "true" member of a political party? In this week'e episode, Dr. Sturg runs down the Appeal to Purity as a way of creating us vs. them. Then, she and guest Dr. Matt Taylor talk about how a substantial religious movement is trying to remake American culture in their own image, why they might support political violence arou…
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Why journalists do a bad job moderating debates (Episode 21.5)
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If debates make you cringe, you aren't alone1 Dr. Sturg breaks down how the way televised debates are structured benefits media and benefits candidates, but generally isn't that great for the audience. Journalists can't do a good job as both a journalist and a moderator at the same time, and the financial model for news doesn't incentivize them to …
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Using rules as a weapon (Episode 21 feat. Ajay Parasram and Alex Khasnabish )
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We learn as children to follow the rules, but sometimes people use the rules deceptively to avoid addressing uncomfortable topics. Dr. Sturg goes through examples of misplaced focus and talks with Ajay Parasram and Alex Khasnabish, hosts of a YouTube series called "Frequently Asked White Questions." Check out Frequently Asked White Questions Follow…
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Episode 20.5 Why do people pay attention to the news?
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You have a lot of choices about how to spend your time, so how and why do you choose to spend it with certain media? In this episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down the things that make media appealing and shows how deceptive newsmakers can use these human tendencies against you. Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websites -Sturg…
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Episode 20: Data journalism (feat. Ben Welsh)
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From COVID to presidential sex scandals, newsmakers use distraction to tell the story they want and take your attention from the story you *need*. Dr. Sturg breaks down this common issues with several examples of politician deception for you to try your skills. Then, she and award-winning journalist Ben Welsh talk about data journalism. Data storie…
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How does the news decide who to interview, and what do they do with people who just don't want to answer the questions? Dr. Sturg breaks it down in this week's mini-sode of UnSpun. Here's an example of a newsmaker being evasive in an interview. Send us your questions and comments at theunspunpodcast@gmail.com and don't forget to like and subscribe!…
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Episode 19: Courts and media coverage (feat. Asha Rangappa and Renato Mariotti)
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Do attorneys plan for media coverage as a part of a trial? Do reporters covering courts do a good job, or are they missing things. Asha Rangappa and Renato Mariotti answer questions about the intersection between the courts and the media in this episode of UnSpun. Asha Rangappa and Renato Mariotti have a ton of experience in different parts of the …
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UnSpun Rewind - Getting along with difficult people
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They are name-calling in congressional committees and judges don't like it when witnesses roll their eyes. It's summer travel time in North America, and as we get ready to go see those relatives we really disagree with, we're re-airing an episode on getting along across difference. Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on how you can get along and may…
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Episode 18.5: Headlines for news are changing
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Headlines are a changing art, as the pressures of digital algorithms are forcing news makers to emphasize the popular over the important. In this minisode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg explains how headlines come to be and shares the latest research on how that affects you, the audience. Tweet about NYT article with buried lede. Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter -Pr…
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Episode 18: The Big Lie (feat. Jen Mercieca)
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If you repeat a lie enough, people may start to believe it. This idea of the big lie has been around for a while, but the last 8 years it has been so bad that fact checkers had to create a whole new rating level for how bad the lying is. Dr. Sturg breaks down the history of the big lie and shows how surrogates and supporters help to spread it. In t…
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In this minisode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg breaks down how press conferences work and how they are used to shape the public's view of what a newsmaker is doing. Plus, a logical thinking review. Washington Post article on Chanel Rion and OANN's presence at White House Press Conferences Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websit…
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Episode 17: The final word on bad analogies (feat. Frangela)
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Angela V. Shelton and Frances Callier, Frangela, host the very popular The Final Word podcast on the MSW Media Network. But the podcast is just one waypoint in an accomplished career in comedy and acting. The artists discuss the rewards and challenges they have faced in their careers, explain why representation benefits everyone and give the inside…
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Episode 16.5: Should journalism try for objectivity?
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It is always fair to include both sides? Dr. Sturg breaks down the history and future of objectivity in this miniepisode of UnSpun. Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are…
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Episode 16: Freedom from Disinformation (feat: Barbara McQuade)
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News media and news makers can do better at working to protect democracy. In this week's episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on how media cover elections and gives some examples of the the appeal to nature fallacy. Then, author, professor and NBC contributor Barbara McQuade and Dr. Sturg talk about her new book and the ways that lawmakers c…
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Episode 15.5: Why WhatsApp is great for privacy but bad for misinformation
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Trying a new episode format - single host minisodes! Let me know what you think! What's even worse for carrying disinformation than social media? Messaging apps! In this episode, Dr. Sturg reviews a deceptive tactic with some new clips and goes over the research on how apps like WhatsApp and Telegram make it very hard to stop Fake News from spreadi…
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Episode 15: How do search engines work? (feat. Matt Diamante)
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Google and other search engines are an essential part of digital life. There's so much information online that we need help finding what we need. But that search doesn't give you all the information or even necessarily the best information. In this week's UnSpun, Dr. Sturg runs down the research on internet search and she and Search Engine Optimiza…
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Episode 14: How to spot misinformation (feat. Mike Caulfield)
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In this week's UnSpun, Dr. Sturg and author Mike Caulfield discuss how to keep yourself safer from the misinformation effect by being more aware of your own relationship to the facts you seek. Plus, Dr. Sturg goes over what a reporter means when she says "on the record" and gives some examples of false authority, which is when someone is put forwar…
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Someone's need to feel validated and important can affect how they view the news, politics and even their own family. In this episode, Dr. Sturg talks with psychotherapist Nick Carmody about the interplay between emotions, beliefs and actions. Plus, she talks about how features like impact and bizarreness shape the news you see. Follow Nick Carmody…
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One way newsmakers to get people to agree with them is to limit their choices so they look like the reasonable one. But they may not be reasonable at all. Learn about false choice this week, and then Dr. Sturg talks with author Teri Kanefield about her upcoming graphic novel "Firehose of Falsehood." Follow Teri Kanefield Teri's book FireHose of Fal…
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Episode 11: Open secrets: FOIA and other ways to get information from the government. (feat: Katie Anthony and AltFDA)
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Every fact can matter, but you wouldn’t know it from the way some newsmakers act. It’s tempting to ignore facts that don’t support what you want to believe, but that’s a logic crime called cherry picking. Dr. Sturg goes through several examples. Then she and then she and American Oversight’s Katie Anthony talk about how FOIA and other records laws …
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Do high-profile debates truly shift opinions or votes? On this episode, Dr. Sturg gets into the studies to see if debates produce real changes. From Kennedy-Nixon to Romney-Obama, she looks at famous debates and explores what the research says about impacts on voters. She also looks the logical flaw of hasty generalization, using debate slip-ups as…
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Dealing with difficult people (Aunt Gladys rides again)
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It's the holidays, and that means visits with those challenging relatives and chance encounters when you travel. In this episode, Dr. Sturg reviews some ideas from communication studies about how to have productive conversations with people you disagree with. Why do grown adult politicians call other people mean names? Personal attacks are designed…
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Free speech is on the menu this week as guest Israel Balderas and Dr. Sturg talk about the First Amendment and the ways newsmakers misrepresent it. The first word is Congress, and that word matters a lot in what it does and doesn't mean. Plus! Listener questions and the wild story of the time the ACLU and the New York Times defended the rights of A…
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Trending science: From Labs to Likes (feat. Dr. Ben Rein)
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People rely on some bad cues for how to make choices, and sometimes newsmakers don't help. In this episode, learn why "we've always done it this way" can be a bad thing. Then, Dr. Sturg talks with Dr. Ben Rein, a neuroscientist and social media star who myth busts and explains science for everyone. Follow Dr. Ben Rein https://www.benrein.com https:…
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What does Jan. 6 have to do with cherry picking? A lot, it turns out. Find out how. Plus Dr. Sturg tells what the research says about Thanksgiving dinner with the relatives. Can you change Aunt Gladys's mind?By Dr. Amanda Sturgill
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Shutdowns have consequences (feat. AltSpaceForce
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Some...years it feels like Congress is the opposite of progress, and the government just can't get past an impasse. It happened for more than a month in 2018-2019 and it's looking like it might happen again. In this week's UnSpun, learn how politicians distract from their failings with red herrings - galling or enthralling distractions that keep yo…
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What are you so afraid of (feat. Seth Norrholm)
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"Nothing happened" doesn't make for much of a headline, and newsmakers know it. When they want to get your attention or get you to do something, sometimes they deliberately use fear. Dr. Sturg talks about how how the powerful use fear deceptively to keep their followers engaged. Then, she and Dr. Seth Norrhom, a psychiatry professor and fear resear…
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Who's watching the watchers? (feat. William Moner)
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What about what HE did? If there’s one thing politicians love, it’s calling an opponent a hypocrite. But two things can both be bad. In this episode of UnSpun, see how newsmakers try to distract from their own bad deeds by pointing out problems with others. Then, Dr. Sturg talks with analytics expert William Moner about how and why companies track …
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The last straw, man (feat. Brooke Binkowski)
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What do deceptive people do when they don’t have a good argument? They make things up and act like someone else said them. In this episode of UnSpun, see how people put words in someone else’s mouth and try to debate them. Hear counter disinformation journalist Brooke Binkowski explain how people click themselves into their own conspiracy theories …
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The Funny Thing About Politics (feat. Brittlestar)
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Why do grown adult politicians call other people mean names? Personal attacks are designed to make you trust the other person less, and they are deceptive. In this episode of UnSpun, learn about how those attacks work, and how a little laughter can make politics easier to take, as Dr. Sturg and Canadian comedy influencer Brittlestar talk about the …
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Welcome to Unspun where Amanda Sturgill helps us spot media manipulation and spin to get to the truth. New episodes starting September 18thBy Amanda Sturgill
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