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Unspun: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Amanda Sturgill
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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 days ago36 min
Polls have had a bad record the past few cycles - are the still worthwhile? UnSpun Rewind
In this UnSpun rewind, DrSturg talks polling with political scientist Dr. Ken Fernandez. Can polls be trusted after 2016? We separate polling facts from fiction on topics like margin of error. Ken shares his insider take on how campaigns use polls and why solid polling matters for a functioning democracy.Get an expert take on improving polling for future elections. Get UnSpun.Follow KenTwitterLinkedIn Follow Dr. SturgBSKY - Prof. Amanda Sturgill Websites - Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comBe smarter! Check out DrSturg's booksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake Newshttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538141045/Detecting-Deception-Tools-to-Fight-Fake-NewsWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-InsideAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- 1 weeks ago24 min
How to keep yourself safe from misinformation
In this comprehensive review episode, we tackle the growing crisis of misinformation in our fractured media landscape. As major elections unfold globally, false information spreads faster than ever—but you have the power to protect yourself.Learn the essential skills to verify information, recognize persuasive manipulation tactics, and help others think more critically without creating conflict. This episode covers:Evaluating evidence quality and source credibilityCoded language and tribalism in political messagingEmotional manipulation through fear, anger, and divisivenessSetting healthy social media boundariesDistinguishing between seeing something often and something being trueANDHow to Help Others Without Creating Conflict:The three-question policy for respectful conversationsModeling curiosity over confrontationUnderstanding reactance and defensive responsesChoosing your battles wiselyCreating conditions for people to change their own mindsFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-hostTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Read lessAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- 2 weeks ago22 min
How politicians get away with lying: Their supporters like it
We all know politicians lie. But how do they get away with it? One surprising reason is because their supporters don't hold it against them. In fact, the sometimes like it. In this week's episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the research on political truth. Whether a lie is a problem depends on a lot of things: the emotions of the listener, the context it's said in and even if the listener just wishes the lie were true. Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-hostTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- 3 weeks ago26 min
Attention, Intimidation, and the Objectivity Trap: UnSpun Journal Club
What happens when censorship stops looking like censorship?In this episode of UnSpun journal club, DrSturg looks at the book The New Censorship: How the War on the Media Is Taking Us Down, which looks at how populist authoritains harm journalism without controlling the press by using society's norms against it. These leaders are all over the world, but have in common a view of a society splot between “the people” and “the elites.” Journalists who don't support the leader are the enemy. The core freedom isn't freedom of speech. It is whether the public still has a meaningful right to know. This is part 2 of a journal club review of this book. Episode cover image is from Wikimedia Commons by user Mobilus In MobiliLINKSThe bookhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-hostTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- Oct 6, 202621 min
Why the news feels like it's overwhelming: How finite attention is manipulated to manipulate you
Everyone wants your attention. News organizations want it. Politicians want it. Social media platforms want it. And increasingly, AI systems stand between you and the information you’re looking for.But attention is finite.In this episode of UnSpun, Amanda Sturgill examines the attention economy and what decades of research can tell us about who gets our attention—and what they can do with it for good and for evil. LINKSHerb Simon's original paperFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- Sep 22, 202622 min
The new censorship and your right to know: UnSpun Journal Club
What happens when censorship stops looking like censorship?In this episode of UnSpun journal club, DrSturg looks at the book The New Censorship: How the War on the Media Is Taking Us Down, which looks at how populist authoritains harm journalism without controlling the press by using society's norms against it. These leaders are all over the world, but have in common a view of a society splot between “the people” and “the elites.” Journalists who don't support the leader are the enemy. The core freedom isn't freedom of speech. It is whether the public still has a meaningful right to know.Episode cover image is from Wikimedia Commons by user Mobilus In MobiliLINKSThe bookhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-hostTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- Sep 16, 202629 min
"So God Made Trump": Christian Nationalism and Media
Christian nationalists think their country and their God are related, and they've built a media ecosystem to spread their beliefs. Agreeing with this changes how they understand facts, what they support and even some of what they do. In this week of UnSpun, DrSturg breaks down some of the research on Christian nationalists and the media.LINKSNPR piece on the Dilley Meme TeamOriginal video, shared online by politicianFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
- Sep 8, 202619 min
Who Controls Your News Feed? Algorithms, Inequality, and the News You See (UnSpun Journal Club)
You probably saw some news today.But did you choose it?Or did it simply find you?In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at research examining how people experience news in everyday life—and why that experience differs depending on how much money you have and how educated you are. The industry needs to look at audiences differently, and the implications for democracy are profound.LINKSPaper covered in this episodeFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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About Unspun
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.
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