Podcast Episodes

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 pola…

6 hours ago

How to say nasty things while staying popular: UnSpun Journal Club

This week's paper, from Sweden, answers an important question: when politicians dogwhistle racism, can it make them MORE popular?

In this episode, Dr…

2 weeks ago

News Consolidation is Bad for Audiences

This week is Stephen Colbert’s final on CBS, and it's part of a larger story behind modern media: consolidation. When a few companies own more of the…

3 weeks ago

How AI Swarms Could Make Social Media Intolerable | UnSpun Journal Club

In this UnSpun Journal Club episode, Dr Sturg looks at a recent paper on what malicious AI swarms could mean for democracy, public debate, and social…

4 weeks ago

Is it bad for blllionaires to control the news? Unspun Rewind

What happens when a handful of very wealthy control what gets reported and how/

In this UnSpun rewind, we look at the role of the press in an oligarch…

1 month ago

Why the News Feels So Overwhelming (And What It’s Doing to You

In this episode of UnSpun, learn the hidden manipulation behind the news.

From TV journalism of the '80s, with “if it bleeds, it leads,” to today’s al…

1 month, 1 week ago

Do social media algorithms change your mind? - Unspun Journal Club

Do social media algorithms actually change what you believe?

In this episode of UnSpun, we break down new research from on the political effects of X’…

1 month, 2 weeks ago

Influencers, Politics, and the New Information Economy

In this episode of UnSpun, I look at the growing power of influencers in politics and public life. From streamers and commentators to legacy journali…

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Nightmare fuel: Rapid-fire convincing disinformation without the data center

Welcome to Journal Club 6, which is about how it's gotten easy and inexpensive to make seemingly limitless disinformation ready to go straight into y…

2 months ago

Why are politicians swearing more and does it matter?

Why do politicians swear—and why does it work?

In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg examines how profanity functions as a political tool. From viral mom…

2 months, 1 week ago