Unspun

In this UnSpun rewind, DrSturg talks 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.Get an expert take on improving polling for future elections. Get UnSpun.Follow KenTwitterLinkedIn Follow Dr. SturgBSKY - Prof. Amanda Sturgill Websites - Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected] smarter! Check out DrSturg's booksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake Newshttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538141045/Detecting-Deception-Tools-to-Fight-Fake-NewsWe are #AltGovhttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-InsideAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this comprehensive review episode, we tackle the growing crisis of misinformation in our fractured media landscape. As major elections unfold globally, false information spreads faster than ever—but you have the power to protect yourself.Learn the essential skills to verify information, recognize persuasive manipulation tactics, and help others think more critically without creating conflict. This episode covers:Evaluating evidence quality and source credibilityCoded language and tribalism in political messagingEmotional manipulation through fear, anger, and divisivenessSetting healthy social media boundariesDistinguishing between seeing something often and something being trueANDHow to Help Others Without Creating Conflict:The three-question policy for respectful conversationsModeling curiosity over confrontationUnderstanding reactance and defensive responsesChoosing your battles wiselyCreating conditions for people to change their own mindsFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Read lessAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We all know politicians lie. But how do they get away with it? One surprising reason is because their supporters don't hold it against them. In fact, the sometimes like it. In this week's episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the research on political truth. Whether a lie is a problem depends on a lot of things: the emotions of the listener, the context it's said in and even if the listener just wishes the lie were true. Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when censorship stops looking like censorship?In this episode of UnSpun journal club, DrSturg looks at the book The New Censorship: How the War on the Media Is Taking Us Down, which looks at how populist authoritains harm journalism without controlling the press by using society's norms against it. These leaders are all over the world, but have in common a view of a society splot between “the people” and “the elites.” Journalists who don't support the leader are the enemy. The core freedom isn't freedom of speech. It is whether the public still has a meaningful right to know. This is part 2 of a journal club review of this book. Episode cover image is from Wikimedia Commons by user Mobilus In MobiliLINKSThe bookhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Everyone wants your attention. News organizations want it. Politicians want it. Social media platforms want it. And increasingly, AI systems stand between you and the information you’re looking for.But attention is finite.In this episode of UnSpun, Amanda Sturgill examines the attention economy and what decades of research can tell us about who gets our attention—and what they can do with it for good and for evil. LINKSHerb Simon's original paperFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when censorship stops looking like censorship?In this episode of UnSpun journal club, DrSturg looks at the book The New Censorship: How the War on the Media Is Taking Us Down, which looks at how populist authoritains harm journalism without controlling the press by using society's norms against it. These leaders are all over the world, but have in common a view of a society splot between “the people” and “the elites.” Journalists who don't support the leader are the enemy. The core freedom isn't freedom of speech. It is whether the public still has a meaningful right to know.Episode cover image is from Wikimedia Commons by user Mobilus In MobiliLINKSThe bookhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-New-Censorship/Ayala-Panievsky/9781804441114Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and Tips and Enter to be a Guest [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Christian nationalists think their country and their God are related, and they've built a media ecosystem to spread their beliefs. Agreeing with this changes how they understand facts, what they support and even some of what they do. In this week of UnSpun, DrSturg breaks down some of the research on Christian nationalists and the media.LINKSNPR piece on the Dilley Meme TeamOriginal video, shared online by politicianFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You probably saw some news today.But did you choose it?Or did it simply find you?In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at research examining how people experience news in everyday life—and why that experience differs depending on how much money you have and how educated you are. The industry needs to look at audiences differently, and the implications for democracy are profound.LINKSPaper covered in this episodeFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why does an influencer you've never met sometimes feel like a friend?In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the psychology behind parasocial relationships — the one-sided relationships audiences can develop with influencers, creators, streamers, and other public figures.We’ll look at how influencers create a sense of intimacy and how those relationships can make advertising more persuasive, reduce our resistance to sales pitches, increase loyalty, and encourage people to spend more time and money with a creator. They can also create enormous pressure for influencers themselves.And the stakes get even higher when influence moves beyond products and into politics.As governments, brands, platforms, and political actors recognize how powerful influencers can be, we have to ask a bigger question:What happens when the person shaping what you think is not a journalist, but someone who feels like your friend?Follow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaOriginal image from Fquasie on Wikimedia Commons. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's harder to get quality information on science that affects your health and life. Dr. Sturg interviews science communicator and neuroscientist Dr. Ben Rein on how researchers with media skills can make a difference. PLUS, People rely on some bad cues for how to make choices, and sometimes newsmakers don't help. In this episode, learn why "we've always done it this way" can be a bad thing. Follow Dr. Ben Reinhttps://www.benrein.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@dr.brein?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/doctor.brein/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/dr_breinhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3KN9-HZ0y_kgZWlkhOPtQhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xjXaTY4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=aoFollow Dr. Sturghttps://twitter.com/DrSturghttps://www.instagram.com/drsturgill/https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandasturgill/Check out my booksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe Are #AltGov; Inside the Social Media ResistanceAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy