Unspun

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 credibility Coded language and tribalism in political messaging Emotional manipulation through fear, anger, and divisiveness Setting healthy social media boundaries Distinguishing between seeing something often and something being true AND How to Help Others Without Creating Conflict: The three-question policy for respectful conversations Modeling curiosity over confrontation Understanding reactance and defensive responses Choosing your battles wisely Creating conditions for people to change their own minds Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-host TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media. Read less Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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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. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-host TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 Mobili LINKS The book https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114 Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-host TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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. LINKS Herb Simon's original paper Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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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 Mobili LINKS The book https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114 Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest Co-host TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"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. LINKS NPR piece on the Dilley Meme Team Original video, shared online by politician Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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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. LINKS Paper covered in this episode Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Can You Trust Influencers? The Hidden Power of Parasocial Relationships

Why does an influencer you've never met sometimes feel like a friend? In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the psychology behind parasocial relationships — the one-sided relationships audiences can develop with influencers, creators, streamers, and other public figures. We’ll look at how influencers create a sense of intimacy and how those relationships can make advertising more persuasive, reduce our resistance to sales pitches, increase loyalty, and encourage people to spend more time and money with a creator. They can also create enormous pressure for influencers themselves. And the stakes get even higher when influence moves beyond products and into politics. As governments, brands, platforms, and political actors recognize how powerful influencers can be, we have to ask a bigger question: What happens when the person shaping what you think is not a journalist, but someone who feels like your friend? Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Original image from Fquasie on Wikimedia Commons. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Science for the rest of us: Why experts need a megaphone (UnSpun Rewind)

It's harder to get quality information on science that affects your health and life. Dr. Sturg interviews science communicator and neuroscientist Dr. Ben Rein on how researchers with media skills can make a difference. PLUS, 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. Follow Dr. Ben Rein https://www.benrein.com https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.brein?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/doctor.brein/?hl=en https://twitter.com/dr_brein https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3KN9-HZ0y_kgZWlkhOPtQ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xjXaTY4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Follow Dr. Sturg https://twitter.com/DrSturg https://www.instagram.com/drsturgill/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandasturgill/ Check out my books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We Are #AltGov; Inside the Social Media Resistance Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Why quality news matters: Journalism and Democracy (UnSpun Rewind)

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 and what you can do about it as you get UnSpun. Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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What happens when the rich control the news? UnSpun Rewind: Press in an Oligarchy

Who really controls the news? And what happens when it's the wealthy? In this UnSpun, rewind, Dr. Sturg explores the role of the press in an oligarchy, which is where a small, powerful elite shapes public perception through media ownership, restricted access, and censorship. From billionaire-backed news outlets to state-controlled media, learn how information is manipulated and some things journalists can do to fight back. Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Why is the government targeting universities and the media? UnSpun Rewind on Authoritarians and the News

On this week's UnSpun, DrSturg explores why authoritarian governments target the press and educational institutions, and how these tactics are appearing in democracies worldwide: Why authoritarian governments restrict press freedom: Common tactics of information control: The consequences of information control: Ways to overcome the censorship Resources mentioned: Survey: http://bit.ly/UnSpunSurvey Books: "Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News" and "We Are #AltGov: Social Media Resistance from the Inside" Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Why does everything feel broken? How newsmakers use sabotage methods to undermine your confidence in your government

There was a secret playbook for destroying governments and newsmakers use some of the same tactics on YOU right now. What if the chaos in your government isn't an accident? In 1944, the OSS (now the CIA) wrote a classified manual teaching resistance fighters how to dismantle a Nazi occupation from within. Today, those same tactics are being used by governments, politicians and would-be authoritarians,and it's working. In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg goes over the 5 sabotage strategies straight from the now declassified Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Learn what to look for with examples from recent news. LINKS The declassified OSS sabotage manual JD Vance tweet with false information about immigrants eating pets Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Less news, more noise: Why weaker newscasts are bad for democracy

America has more news shows than ever, but somehow, we have less information. In this episode of UnSpun Journal Club, DrSturg looks as new research analyzing more than fifty years of American broadcast television news. Researchers found that advertising has expanded while substantive public-interest reporting has steadily declined. She also looks at how political rhetoric shapes public perception, why language that divides people into "normal" and "abnormal" matters and the best thing you can do to fight it. LINKS The Vanderbilt TV News Archive Original Paper from This Episode Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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The hidden cost of paywalls: How restricting news hurts democracy

Quality journalism costs money while misinformation is usualy free? But most quality news is behind a paywall and few people want to pay. In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg traces the history of the news paywall from the early days of online newspapers to today's subscription economy and examines what decades of research tell us about who pays, who doesn't, and what that means for public knowledge. Follow @drsturg on Bluesky DrSturg's book, Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News teaches you how to identify this kind of shady language yourself, using real examples from the news. Check it out and be smarter! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Should We Trust AI Fact Checkers? | UnSpun Journal Club

Can artificial intelligence help stop misinformation—or could it quietly make the problem worse? In this episode of UnSpun Journal Club, check out new research on whether communication managers trust AI fact-checking tools and what happens when humans remain "in the loop." Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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From Waco to Tulsi Gabbard: How the news media struggle to cover cults

What happens when secretive religious movements intersect with politics? In this episode of Unseen, Dr. Sturg begins with the present: recent reporting on Tulsi Gabbard and the Science of Identity Foundation before tracing the fascinating history of journalists covering new religious movements from the 1930s to today and on multiple continents. She has aliens, telepathy and a wild story about how a news guy actually tipped off the Branch Davidians. Links Here's the Washington Post piece on Gabbard (gift link) Check out the Heaven's Gate website - still maintained by some followers left behind just to keep it up. Hear the Hu sound from Eckankar for yourself. Follow @drsturg on Bluesky DrSturg's book, Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News teaches you how to identify this kind of shady language yourself, using real examples from the news. Check it out and be smarter! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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The reflecting pool is blue: The Big Lie (UnSpun Rewind)

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 the interview, author and professor Dr. Jen Mercieca breaks down Texas politics, explains how dead Greeks have a lot to say about productive communication, and how fraught the present moment is in politics and democracy. Follow Dr. Jen Mercia Twitter (X): @jenmercieca Resolute Square Check out Demagogue For President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump 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 #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Why do conservatives think the media hates them? UnSpun Journal Club

Why is your grandma convinced that the news thinks she's mean or ignorant? In this week's episode of the UnSpun journal club, DrSturg looks at a study on folk theories of media bias. For the respondents in this story, bias was about more than just acts. facts. It was about representation, language, identity and whether people felt like journalists welcomed their perspectives. And the study gives advice on how to talk about the news to people who think the news is out to get them. Here is the original paper. DrSturg's book, Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News is on sale! It also teaches you how to identify this kind of shady language yourself, using real examples from the news. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Is media bias getting worse: Are politicians right?

Is the media actually biased? Or do we just think it is? In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg examines decades of research on media bias, political polarization, cable news and the psychology of news consumption. From Fox News and CNN to newspapers, social media and more, she explores what researchers have found about bias in news coverage and how people on opposite sides of an issue can see the same story completely differently. Do the politicians yelling #FakeNews have a point? Find out in this week's UnSpun. **Check out DrSturg on Bluesky **DrSturg wrote a book that makes YOU smarter about the news with information and exercises taken from real news stories. Find it here: https://amzn.to/3CLyvGr Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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