CAPTivated

In this episode, Sage, Hanna and Julius hear from Stanford Professor Fred Turner about how personalization and commercial platforms have corrupted the “public sphere.” Fred traces the historical roots of the fantasy of a global connected conversation system back to post-WWII scientists, critiques the techno-utopianism of Silicon Valley, and underscores the importance of institutions and regulation for breaking up companies that would otherwise destroy public goods. He reminds us of the power of in-person organizing and solidarity to resist authoritarianism.

Key Takeaways from Fred:

1. Personalization and profit-driven platforms killed the public sphere - When debate is about who you are as a person not how to distribute resources, rational deliberation becomes impossible
2. Tech companies are terrified of regulation for a reason - Their fear is a measure of our power. We've broken up extractive industries before, and legislated safety. We can build seat belts.
3. Online attention is not action - Stop circulating “misery porn.” Hard, dull in-person work builds the solidarity, trust, and friendships that create change

Find out more about:

• Fred Turner
• His books: Echoes of Combat, From Counterculture to Cyberculture, Seeing Silicon Valley, The Democratic Surround
• His Texan Ideology article 

Some of this episode's texts :

• Habermas, Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere
• Murrow “Wires and Lights in a Box”
• Mcluhan The Global Village
• Barthe's “exnomination” Mythologies used by Stuart Hall 
• Benkler Wealth of Networks
• Sharp and Jenkin Fighting Tyranny
• hooks' Oppositional Gaze 

Fred’s Media Diet:

• Main: Times, Post, Guardian, Fox News, CNN, WSJ, Portland Press Herald, MDI

This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to [email protected]

Welcome to the very first episode of the CAPTivated Podcast! Hosts Hanna, Julius and Sage sit down with Dr. Nicole Hemmer, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Rogers Center for the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, to explore the history and power of conservative media in American politics. From William F. Buckley Jr. and Rush Limbaugh to Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk, this episode traces how and why right-wing media evolved into a dominant force in the digital age. Nicole also breaks down what’s different about contemporary conservative influencers, why fact-checking fails and media literacy isn’t enough, and how strong local communities matter more than perfect information systems.

Three Key Takeaways from Nicole

1. Politics and media are inextricable - You can't fix one without addressing the other
2. 20th-century solutions don't solve 21st-century problems - We need forward-looking approaches, not nostalgia for a media "golden age"
3. Touch grass with others - Strong local communities and real-world connections are essential foundations for both better media consumption and democratic health

Find out more about:

• Prof. Nicole Hemmer
• Her books Messengers of the Right and Partisans
• Her Radiotopia podcast This Day
• Made By History the historical analysis column Nicole helped found at the Washington Post which has now moved to TIME
• Her instagram @‌pastpundit
• Her Bluesky @‌pastpunditry.bsky.social 

Some of the texts we refer to in this episode:

• Nicholas Buccola, The Fire Is Upon Us

Nicole’s Media Diet:

• Meat and Potatoes:  The Daily, 5-4, Strict Scrutiny, New York Times, Boston Review, The New Yorker, The Tennessean
• Junk Food/Palate Cleanser: If Books Could Kill, Taskmaster, Bridgerton, Love Is Blind

This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to [email protected]

Welcome to CAPTivated! In this teaser episode hosts Hanna Sistek, Sage Goodwin, and Julius Freeman at Purdue University’s Center for American Political History, Media, and Technology (CAPT) are joined by CAPT Director Professor Kathryn Cramer Brownell, to introduce their new podcast. They chat briefly about who they are, what they do, and why they’re making this podcast: to help listeners understand what’s wrong with our media, how we got here, and what we can do about it.

In upcoming episodes they’ll pick the brains of researchers, journalists, technologists, and other experts to provide listeners with tools and insights to help rethink how we engage with the media that shapes our lives. They’ll explore everything from disinformation and polarization to AI and the death of local journalism. Tune in every other week for new episodes!

Find out more about:

• CAPT
• Kathryn Cramer Brownell
• Made By History
• Sage Goodwin
• Hanna Sistek
• Julius Freeman

Some texts we refer to in this episode:

• A piece Sage wrote for Made By History
• A piece Kathryn wrote for Made By History

Thanks to Meibel Dabodabo for production help!

This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to [email protected]