Unspun

By Amanda SturgillNews Education Self-Improvement News Commentary

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Typical duration
24 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Unspun episodes

December 17, 2024Why does the news make people feel so upset?
Episode Highlights
Explore false cause and see how newsmakers overhype correlations
Find out how media influences how we process information
Key Takeaways
Our brains are wired to find patterns, sometimes creating false connections
Media consumption can significantly impact our worldview, but you can stop it
Deep Dive Topics
Scientific thinking and identifying true causal relationships
Cultivation theory in media consumption
Selective exposure and its impact on political understanding
Practical Advice
Learn to critically evaluate statistical claims
Expose yourself to diverse perspectives
Be aware of how media consumption shapes your worldview
Recommended Resources
Tyler Vigen's work on false correlation
Follow Dr. Sturg
BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)
Websites -Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
23 min
December 10, 2024 The Freedom Paradox: How Fear Leads to Poor Decisions
In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg breaks down the research on reactance, a human behavior that explains choices like refusing masks. Delve into the psychological concept of reactance and explore why people resist when they feel their personal freedom is under threat. We discuss real-life examples and hypothetical scenarios that illustrate how reactance manifests in everyday situations, from online experiences to family gatherings, and even in educational settings.
Follow Dr. Sturg
BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
15 min
December 03, 2024 Modern Propaganda: Unmasking Media Manipulation
In this episode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg explorse guilt by association and dive deep into modern propaganda. From historical exampless to today's digital battlegrounds, discover how propaganda has evolved and what research says makes you susceptible.
Starting out, learn how people judge others unfairly. Seet how propaganda has changed over time, from Nazi Germany to today's social media. Those who want to influence others have found new tools but still use old tricks to persuade people.
Learn what science says about why people fall for propaganda. Scientists have found that our brains take shortcuts, our feelings can cloud our judgment, and our social groups shape what we believe. Finally, hear some clear steps anyone can take to spot and resist it.
Follow Dr. Sturg
BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
24 min
November 19, 2024 The Hidden Truth Behind Political Purity Tests
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. Sturg
BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
15 min
November 12, 2024 Does Journalism still Matter in a Democracy?
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. Sturg
BlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg)
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
23 min
November 05, 2024 Post-election training: Learn tell when newsmakers are being deceptive
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. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
14 min
October 29, 2024 Who lies more, liberals or conservatives (feat. Bill Adair)
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. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
35 min
October 22, 2024 What is sane washing and why do journalists do it?
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. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
16 min
October 15, 2024 The deception of division (feat. Craig Silverman)
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 Silverman
Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions,Tips, or just say hi!
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
34 min
October 08, 2024 Disaster Disinformation hurts NC communities devastated by Hurricane Helene
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 NC
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
[email protected]
Dr. Sturg’s Books
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
We are #AltGov

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
21 min

About Unspun

From the publisher's feed

Unspun is critical thinking about the news. Hear real examples, past and present, of newsmakers attempting to mislead you and understand how they manipulate the truth. Learn how to avoid being…