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. Then, Dr. Sturg talks with Dr. Ben Rein, a neuroscientist and social media star who myth busts and explains science for everyone. Follow Dr. Ben Reinhttps://www.benrein.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@dr.brein?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/doctor.brein/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/dr_breinhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3KN9-HZ0y_kgZWlkhOPtQhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xjXaTY4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=aoFollow Dr. Sturghttps://twitter.com/DrSturghttps://www.instagram.com/drsturgill/https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandasturgill/Check out my booksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe Are #AltGov; Inside the Social Media Resistance

What does Jan. 6 have to do with cherry picking? A lot, it turns out. Find out how. Plus Dr. Sturg tells what the research says about Thanksgiving dinner with the relatives. Can you change Aunt Gladys's mind?

Some...years it feels like Congress is the opposite of progress, and the government just can't get past an impasse. It happened for more than a month in 2018-2019 and it's looking like it might happen again. In this week's UnSpun, learn how politicians distract from their failings with red herrings - galling or enthralling distractions that keep you away from the truth. Then, enjoy my #AltGov guest, who shares what the costs of a shutdown are for people who depend on government services - you and me - by reading an excerpt from my book We Are #AltGov written to give the civil servant insight on the last time the government ran out of money. Follow @AltSpaceForce1Follow Dr. SturgTwitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites - Sturg says | Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-InsideDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake Newshttps://www.amazon.com/Detecting-Deception-Tools-Fight-Fake/dp/1538141027

"Nothing happened" doesn't make for much of a headline, and newsmakers know it. When they want to get your attention or get you to do something, sometimes they deliberately use fear. Dr. Sturg talks about how how the powerful use fear deceptively to keep their followers engaged. Then, she and Dr. Seth Norrhom, a psychiatry professor and fear researcher, discuss how your brain interacts with the news that you get, both from media and from social media.  Follow Dr. Norrholm:On Slate.comSeth Norrholm  on TwitterFollow Dr. SturgTwitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites - Sturg says | Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-InsideDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake Newshttps://www.amazon.com/Detecting-Deception-Tools-Fight-Fake/dp/1538141027

What about what HE did? If there’s one thing politicians love, it’s calling an opponent a hypocrite. But two things can both be bad. In this episode of UnSpun, see how newsmakers try to distract from their own bad deeds by pointing out problems with others.  Then, Dr. Sturg talks with  analytics expert William Moner about how and why companies track your online behavior and what they do with that data. Follow William:LinkedInWilliam on TwitterFollow Dr. SturgTwitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites - Sturg says | Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-InsideDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake Newshttps://www.amazon.com/Detecting-Deception-Tools-Fight-Fake/dp/1538141027

What do deceptive people do when they don’t have a good argument? They make things up and act like someone else said them. In this episode of UnSpun, see how people put words in someone else’s mouth and try to debate them.  Hear counter disinformation journalist Brooke Binkowski explain how people click themselves into their own conspiracy theories and and how leaders use disinformation to seed ideas that they then pretend came from the public .Follow Brooke:TruthorFiction.comBrooke on TwitterBrooke on Blue SkyFollow Dr. SturgTwitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites - Sturg says | Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-Inside

Why do grown adult politicians call other people mean names? Personal attacks are designed to make you trust the other person less, and they are deceptive. In this episode of UnSpun, learn about how those attacks work, and how a little laughter can make politics easier to take, as Dr. Sturg and Canadian comedy influencer Brittlestar talk about the power of comedy in news. Follow Brittlestar:Brittlestar.comBrittlestar on TwitterBrittlestar (@brittlestar) • Instagram Follow Dr. SturgTwitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsite - Sturg saysThe Book - We are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-Inside

Welcome to Unspun where Amanda Sturgill helps us spot media manipulation and spin to get to the truth.New episodes starting September 18th