Unspun

Episode Highlights Explore false cause and see how newsmakers overhype correlations Find out how media influences how we process information Key Takeaways Our brains are wired to find patterns, sometimes creating false connections Media consumption can significantly impact our worldview, but you can stop it Deep Dive Topics Scientific thinking and identifying true causal relationships Cultivation...

In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg breaks down the research on reactance, a human behavior that explains choices like refusing masks. Delve into the psychological concept of reactance and explore why people resist when they feel their personal freedom is under threat. We discuss real-life examples and hypothetical scenarios that illustrate how reactance manifests in everyday situations, from onlin...

In this episode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg explorse guilt by association and dive deep into modern propaganda. From historical exampless to today's digital battlegrounds, discover how propaganda has evolved and what research says makes you susceptible.  Starting out, learn how people judge others unfairly. Seet how propaganda has changed over time, from Nazi Germany to today's social media. Thos...

In this episode of UnSpun, we explore the Appeal to Purity—a tricky way people exclude others from groups to manipulate thinking. We look at how this tactic works, its history, and how to defend against it with simple strategies. From political rallies to major historical events, we'll unpack the impact of this fallacy. Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)  Websites - St...

How can we be drowning in information and at the same time, badly informed? In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg breaks down the relationship of journalism and democracy. Journalism came first, and democracy wouldn't exist without it. But today, journalism is struggling and around the world, democracy is struggling right along with it. Find out how the relationship works, why it's failing an...

After US voters cast their ballots, some folks may try to win by acting like the election was rigged, In this episode, DrSturg goes over several ways newsmakers try to deceive, and you can check your own deception detection skills with an audio quiz.  Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websites - Sturg says | Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips TheUnspunPodcast@gmail....

How do you speak truth to power when people call you biased just for checking facts? This year features several high-stakes elections, and a new threat to the truth is AI. DrSturg lets you test yourself with AI vs. real examples and she and guest, Politifact founder Bill Adair, talk about journalism's relationship with the truth.    Check out Bill Adair's book Beyond the Big Lie .    Follo...

If a politician says something that's garbled or hard to understand, a journalist's go-to is to not quote, but paraphrase. But does that do a disservice when it obscures the fact that the politician is often like this? DrSturg breaks down how journalists choose to paraphrase and quote and how that might not work so well in the modern media climate.  Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Amanda...

When a politician wins by 51% and says everyone he represents agrees with him, that's a fallacy of division. DrSturg breaks down this common thinking program. She and her guest, ProPublica's Craig Silverman, talk verification and how journalists and audiences can go about checking the information they get.  Check out Craig Silverman Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter -...

Disinformation from both major political figures and social media randos has hurt relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Dr. Sturg breaks down what's happening, why and what you can do about it.    Local article on what FEMA is actually doing in NC Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websites - Sturg says | Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips TheUnspunPodc...

Although mainstream media is suffering economically, grant and membership supported non-profit news is thriving. DrSturg and Oklahoma Watch's Ted Streuli talk about how the model lets experienced reporters uncover news in the public interest. Plus, DrSturg breaks down false choice in the WrapUp.    Check out Oklahoma Watch .  Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Webs...

When a newsmaker is accused of wrongdoing, there can be a pattern to their response. In this week's episode, Dr. Sturg teaches you about DARVO, an acronym that can help you know when someone is trying to escape blame. Listen to 3 real world examples.    Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X Websites - Sturg says | Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips TheUnspunPodcast@...

When it comes to political movements, students and other young people are useful allies. In this episode, Dr. Sturg and author Kyle Spencer talk about Spencer's book, Raising them Right. Plus, friend of the show Israel Balderas breaks down the law on campaigns using songs the artist wishes they wouldn't.  Follow journalist Kyle Spencer Twitter - @KyleYSpencer Website - Kyle Spencer   Twitt...

One thing that separates professional journalists from content creators is their code of ethics. In this episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down what you should be able to expect from someone who calls themselves a journalist. But, adhering to this code is a lot harder than it used to me, and she tells you why.  We close out with a fun game where you can guess if Dr. Sturg made the ethical choice back when...

Radicalized extremism led to Taylor Swift having to cancel Eras Tour concerts in Austria and continues to be a threat worldwide. And some people say social media is to blame. In this week's UnSpun minisode, Dr. Sturg looks at the most recent research on how social media algorithms can bathe users in ever more extreme views.  BBC article on radicalization and boys   Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - P...

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 and the reporters in The Vote Collectors .  Fol...

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.    Follow Dr. Sturg Twitter - Prof. Ama...

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 about obfuscation - using fancy or empty words to av...

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 necessary sometimes. But especially...

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 case studies. See how speakers and listeners both...

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 this bias explains why early accounts of...

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 headline, and newsmakers know it. When...

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 around the election and how th...

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 try. And for candidates, using mis...

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 Ajay Parasram Follow Alex Khasnabish  ...