Delaware Humanities Podcasts

Dr. Dannagal Young discusses the history of fact checking in US politics, the unique challenges of fact checking in the age of social and digital media, and the best ways to approach correcting misinformation from friends and family on social media. Dr. Dannagal Young is an Associate Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware and a Distinguish Research Fellow at...

Dr. Deb Roy discusses how people use Twitter, how it both reflects and drives public opinion, and the role of social media platforms as well as users in regulating conversations and content. Dr. Roy is a professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Director of the Lab for Social Machines, and Executive Director of the MIT Media Lab.

Dr. David Wilson discusses the history of polling, how polling has changed, the best practices in gathering data, and how the public should approach information in a poll. Dr. Wilson is the Senior Associate Dean for Social Studies and a professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware.

Charlie Ornstein discusses the role of local journalism as a source of accountability for local governments, how local newspapers cultivate community and trust, and how these publications are responding to ongoing financial struggles. Ornstein is a deputy managing editor at ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom focusing on investigative journalism, where he oversees its Local Reporting Network.

Dr. Lindsay Hoffman discusses the growth of Facebook as a source of information, how it differs from other social media platforms, and its responsibility regarding larger trends of political polarization in the U.S. Dr. Hoffman is an Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Delaware. She is also the Associate Director of UD’s Center for Political Communication and Director of the...

Dr. Thomas Leitch discusses the origins of, the questions of bias and authority within, and how to approach using Wikipedia. These questions and their answers can be applied to other sources of information to help us reflect on how and why we use and rely on them. Dr. Leitch is an English professor at the University of Delaware, where his primary focus is on film studies. He is the author of the 2...

Michele Anstine discusses the origins of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the "Democracy and the Informed Citizen" initiative behind the "A Matter of Facts" podcast, and the misconceptions about the value of the humanities in everyday life. Michele Anstine is the Executive Director of Delaware Humanities. Previously, Ms. Anstine was the Assistant CEO and Chief Program Officer for the Del...

Dr. Susan Schneider discusses misconceptions about Artificial Intelligence, questions about and concerns for the future, and how these issues are intricately tied to philosophy. Dr. Schneider is an Associate Professor at the University of Conneticut, a faculty member in the Ethics and Technology Group at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, and currently a Distinguished Scholar at the...

Dr. Caroline Janney discusses the history of Civil War monuments, the past and present debates surrounding them, and the importance of community engagement with history. Dr. Janney is Director of the John L. Nau II Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia and author of "Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies’ Memorial Associations and the Lost Cause" and "Remembering the Civil...

Christine Alois and Shana Payne discuss the state of Delaware's K-12 education system, including its challenges, triumphs, and the importance of collaboration. Christine Alois was named the state Department of Education's Deputy Director last summer after 24 years in the Caesar Rodney School District. Shana Payne has served as the state Education Department's Director of Higher Education since 201...

Can professional, evidence-led, fair-minded journalism survive in this era of political polarization and active international propaganda campaigns on social media? The evidence so far is that it can. From unearthing the facts that sparked the #MeToo movement and exposing the abuse scandal at USA Gymnastics, to investigative reporting that have forced free-spending cabinet officials to resign, prof...

Dr. John Logsdon discusses the politics of Apollo 11, the future of space exploration and NASA, the concept of a "Space Force", and the best sources for space news. Dr Logsdon is professor emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, a faculty member of the International Space University, and previously held the...

In this episode of "A Matter of Facts", Pulitzer Prize nominated photojournalist Jim Graham and host Nancy Karibjanian take a critical look at the state of photojouralism, and if we can truly believe what we see in the news. Locally, many know Graham's work from his time on the staff at the News Journal, but he has also shot for the Associated Press, Washington Post, Vanity Fair and the New York T...

This episode features a conversation with investigative journalist and University of Delaware professor McKay Jenkins. His latest book, Food Fight: GMOs and the Future of the American Diet, focuses on the contentious national debate over the safety, politics, and environmental implications of genetic engineering and industrial food. And in this edition of A Matter of Facts, host Nancy Karibjanian...

Ofri is a physician at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in country, and a faculty member at the NYU School of Medicine. She’s also co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review, the first literary journal developed in a medical setting. She’s written extensively about medicine and the doctor-patient relationship – and her latest book What Patients Say, What...

Facebook, Twitter, 24/7 news channels, talk radio, citizen journalism, fake news, real news, audiences are drowning in an overwhelming overload of information. Clearly a guidepost is needed to identify what is a trustworthy and a reliable source of news and information. A new podcast– A Matter of Facts - will delve into this topic and we bring you the first episode this week. It’s hosted by Nancy...