Do attorneys plan for media coverage as a part of a trial? Do reporters covering courts do a good job, or are they missing things. Asha Rangappa and Renato Mariotti answer questions about the intersection between the courts and the media in this episode of UnSpun. Asha Rangappa and Renato Mariotti have a ton of experience in different parts of the justice system and host the It's Complicated podcast that's part of MSW Media. They talk about how lawyers see the reporters who cover courts and what they think about defendants who want to speak to the public. 

Listen to It's Complicated. 

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They are name-calling in congressional committees and judges don't like it when witnesses roll their eyes. It's summer travel time in North America, and as we get ready to go see those relatives we really disagree with, we're re-airing an episode on getting along across difference. 

Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on how you can get along and maybe even help someone change their mind. 

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Headlines are a changing art, as the pressures of digital algorithms are forcing news makers to emphasize the popular over the important. In this minisode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg explains how headlines come to be and shares the latest research on how that affects you, the audience. 

Tweet about NYT article with buried lede. 

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If you repeat a lie enough, people may start to believe it. This idea of the big lie has been around for a while, but the last 8 years it has been so bad that fact checkers had to create a whole new rating level for how bad the lying is. Dr. Sturg breaks down the history of the big lie and shows how surrogates and supporters help to spread it. 

In the interview, author and professor Dr. Jen Mercieca breaks down Texas politics, explains how dead Greek guys have a lot to say about productive communication and how fraught the present moment is in politics and democracy. 

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Resolute Square

Check out Demagogue For President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump

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In this minisode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg breaks down how press conferences work and how they are used to shape the public's view of what a newsmaker is doing. Plus, a logical thinking review. 

Washington Post article on Chanel Rion and OANN's presence at White House Press Conferences

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Angela V. Shelton and Frances Callier, Frangela, host the very popular The Final Word podcast on the MSW Media Network. But the podcast is just one waypoint in an accomplished career in comedy and acting. The artists discuss the rewards and challenges they have faced in their careers, explain why representation benefits everyone and give the inside scoop on what happens at a comedian house party. 

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It is always fair to include both sides? Dr. Sturg breaks down the history and future of objectivity in this miniepisode of UnSpun. 

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News media and news makers can do better at working to protect democracy. In this week's episode, Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on how media cover elections and gives some examples of the the appeal to nature fallacy. Then, author, professor and NBC contributor Barbara McQuade and Dr. Sturg talk about her new book and the ways that lawmakers could act to help audiences protect themselves from disinformation. 

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Trying a new episode format - single host minisodes! Let me know what you think!

What's even worse for carrying disinformation than social media? Messaging apps! In this episode, Dr. Sturg reviews a deceptive tactic with some new clips and goes over the research on how apps like WhatsApp and Telegram make it very hard to stop Fake News from spreading. Plus, newsmakers are at it again. Hear some new clips to review a thinking problem we've already talked about on UnSpun. 

Here's a link to the Last Week Tonight episode mentioned on the podcast. 

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Google and other search engines are an essential part of digital life. There's so much information online that we need help finding what we need. But that search doesn't give you all the information or even necessarily the best information. In this week's UnSpun, Dr. Sturg runs down the research on internet search and she and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert Matt Diamanté from Ontario's Hey Tony Agency go through what businesses will do to be at the top of the page when you search. 

Also, Dr. Sturg talks about the Fallacy of Composition - where excellent NBA players working together became a disappointing Olympic team. 

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Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News

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