MAD Warfare Podcast

The Info War w Andrea Hickerson


Listen Later

Who wins when nobody knows what to trust?

If the biggest national security threat isn't hackers or spies—but bad communication—what happens next?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Andrea Hickerson, Dean of Journalism at the University of Mississippi and founding director of the new Center for Information Advantage & Effectiveness, to distill how information actually moves, mutates, and manipulates us.

From deepfakes and dashboards to sports rumors, betting markets, and why "media literacy" might be the wrong fix entirely—this is a conversation about how narrative, tone, and trust quietly decide outcomes long before facts ever get a vote.

Welcome to the info war.

Key Topics

Why bad communication—not bad actors—is the real national security risk

Why dashboards create a false sense of knowing

Deepfakes: when quality doesn't matter, context does

How sports, fandom, and entertainment become information Trojan horses

Why famous people are harder to deepfake than regular humans

How misinformation sneaks in through tone, not facts

Why media literacy puts too much work on audiences

Media ethics vs. "just think harder" solutions

Who actually benefits when confusion spreads

Why trust collapses faster than truth

Resources + Links

Center for Information Advantage & Effectiveness — University of Mississippi

Andrea Hickerson — [email protected]

Book: Fake Checking: A Journalist's Guide to Deep Fakes

WANT TO SUPPORT MAD?

Sponsor us.

We'll make you a weird, wonderful custom video.

Email: [email protected]

(Or just send snacks. Still counts.)

MAD Warfare™ is hosted by narrative strategist Jocelyn Brady and cognitive neuroscientist Sean Anthony Guillory.

Edited and produced by Amine el Filali.

Visit madwarfare.com for extra giggles.

Send your wishes, weird ideas, dream guests, and sponsorship inquiries (yes, again) to [email protected].

FAIR USE

This show is MAD enough to include homages, short clips, and references that provide vital context and/or moments of joy. We deeply respect every creator's work and use these moments for educational, artistic, and transformative purposes under Fair Use. If we missed an attribution or you'd like to collaborate, reach out—we're happy to chat.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

MAD Warfare PodcastBy STP Productions