Unspun

In this episode of UnSpun, we explore the Appeal to Purity—a tricky way people exclude others from groups to manipulate thinking. We look at how this tactic works, its history, and how to defend against it with simple strategies. From political rallies to major historical events, we'll unpack the impact of this fallacy.Follow 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

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. 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

After US voters cast their ballots, some folks may try to win by acting like the election was rigged, In this episode, DrSturg goes over several ways newsmakers try to deceive, and you can check your own deception detection skills with an audio quiz. Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

How do you speak truth to power when people call you biased just for checking facts? This year features several high-stakes elections, and a new threat to the truth is AI. DrSturg lets you test yourself with AI vs. real examples and she and guest, Politifact founder Bill Adair, talk about journalism's relationship with the truth.  Check out Bill Adair's book Beyond the Big Lie.  Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

If a politician says something that's garbled or hard to understand, a journalist's go-to is to not quote, but paraphrase. But does that do a disservice when it obscures the fact that the politician is often like this? DrSturg breaks down how journalists choose to paraphrase and quote and how that might not work so well in the modern media climate. Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

When a politician wins by 51% and says everyone he represents agrees with him, that's a fallacy of division. DrSturg breaks down this common thinking program. She and her guest, ProPublica's Craig Silverman, talk verification and how journalists and audiences can go about checking the information they get. Check out Craig SilvermanTwitter | LinkedIn | FacebookFollow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions,Tips, or just say hi!TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

Disinformation from both major political figures and social media randos has hurt relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Dr. Sturg breaks down what's happening, why and what you can do about it.  Local article on what FEMA is actually doing in NCFollow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

Although mainstream media is suffering economically, grant and membership supported non-profit news is thriving. DrSturg and Oklahoma Watch's Ted Streuli talk about how the model lets experienced reporters uncover news in the public interest. Plus, DrSturg breaks down false choice in the WrapUp.  Check out Oklahoma Watch. Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

When a newsmaker is accused of wrongdoing, there can be a pattern to their response. In this week's episode, Dr. Sturg teaches you about DARVO, an acronym that can help you know when someone is trying to escape blame. Listen to 3 real world examples.  Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

When it comes to political movements, students and other young people are useful allies. In this episode, Dr. Sturg and author Kyle Spencer talk about Spencer's book, Raising them Right. Plus, friend of the show Israel Balderas breaks down the law on campaigns using songs the artist wishes they wouldn't. Follow journalist Kyle SpencerTwitter - @KyleYSpencerWebsite - Kyle Spencer Twitter - @jisraelbalderasFollow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov  List of journalists jailed for refusing to reveal sources

One thing that separates professional journalists from content creators is their code of ethics. In this episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down what you should be able to expect from someone who calls themselves a journalist. But, adhering to this code is a lot harder than it used to me, and she tells you why. We close out with a fun game where you can guess if Dr. Sturg made the ethical choice back when she was a reporter.  Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov  List of journalists jailed for refusing to reveal sources

Radicalized extremism led to Taylor Swift having to cancel Eras Tour concerts in Austria and continues to be a threat worldwide. And some people say social media is to blame. In this week's UnSpun minisode, Dr. Sturg looks at the most recent research on how social media algorithms can bathe users in ever more extreme views. BBC article on radicalization and boys Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

Sometimes to get to the truth, a reporter just has to start knocking on doors. In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg talks to award-winning journalist Joe Bruno about his work uncovering a voter fraud scheme in North Carolina. Plus, warm up is back with several examples of the fallacy of authority for you to try your skills. Learn more about the scheme and the reporters in The Vote Collectors. Follow Joe BrunoFollow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

Why do people do and say the things they do? Whether it's running a red light or asking to talk to the manager, when you observe people's actions, there's a risk of misunderstanding that can make the world even more divided. Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on a common thinking error that can give you trouble in making interpersonal judgements.  Follow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov

As a tireless producer of information, including disinformation, AI poses real risks to elections going forward. As we find ourselves at a crossroad with machines that seem like they can think, Lee Rainie, director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center and Dr. Sturg talk about several AI-related issues on the horizon. Plus, Dr. Sturg talks about obfuscation - using fancy or empty words to avoid taking controversial positions. The Imagining the Digital Future website has results from surveys and some position statements about the likely affects of AI on society. It's interesting stuff!Follow Lee RainieFollow 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

If you are getting most of your news from evening cable shows or podcasts, you're not alone. But you're also probably not as well-informed as you think you are. In this episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down curation of news and how it affects your knowledge about what's going on. Letting other people decide what stories are important can be useful or even necessary sometimes. But especially for things you care about a lot, it's important to look for first-hand reports. Learn how to create your own curated news feed in this week's UnSpun.

Do high-profile debates truly shift opinions or votes? On this episode, Dr. Sturg gets into the studies to see if debates produce real changes. From Kennedy-Nixon to Romney-Obama, she looks at famous debates and explores what the research says about impacts on voters.She also looks the logical flaw of hasty generalization, using debate slip-ups as case studies. See how speakers and listeners both frequently overgeneralize from single examples.Plus, she talks about 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.Find out whether debates live up to the hype. Learn how to catch hasty generalizations. Get an expert take on improving polling for future elections. Get UnSpun.

Why did it seem like everyone in the media thought Biden's debate performance concerned democrats? And how does telling a good story get in the way of the truth? In this episode, Dr. Sturg goes over the cozy relationship between politicians and the journalists who cover and explains the narrative bias. It's a tendency to fit facts into a story, and this bias explains why early accounts of breaking news are often wrong.  Link to the article from Poynter.  Follow 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

UnSpun Rewind in honor of the political convention in the US this week. Are things as bad as the politicians say? Are they the only ones who can save us? Dr. Sturg breaks down the Appeal to Fear trick and guest Dr. Seth Norrholm talks about what being made afraid does to your thinking and judgment.  "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's a "good" parent or a "true" member of a political party? In this week'e episode, Dr. Sturg runs down the Appeal to Purity as a way of creating us vs. them. Then, she and guest Dr. Matt Taylor talk about how a substantial religious movement is trying to remake American culture in their own image, why they might support political violence around the election and how the media is doing a poor job of understanding and covering it.  NC Lt. Governor's full speech at Lake Church in NC.  Follow Dr. Matt TaylorMatt's excellent podcast seriesMatt's forthcoming bookFollow Dr. SturgTwitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / XWebsites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and TipsTheUnspunPodcast@gmail.comDr. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov