Unspun

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media.

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"So God Made Trump": Christian Nationalism and Media Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

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.

LINKS

NPR piece on the Dilley Meme Team

Original video, shared online by politician

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media

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Who Controls Your News Feed? Algorithms, Inequality, and the News You See (UnSpun Journal Club) Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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.

LINKS

Paper covered in this episode

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media

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Can You Trust Influencers? The Hidden Power of Parasocial Relationships Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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?

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media

Original image from Fquasie on Wikimedia Commons.

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Science for the rest of us: Why experts need a megaphone (UnSpun Rewind) Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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 Rein

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https://twitter.com/dr_brein

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3KN9-HZ0y_kgZWlkhOPtQ

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xjXaTY4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

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Check out my books

We Are #AltGov; Inside the Social Media Resistance

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Why quality news matters: Journalism and Democracy (UnSpun Rewind) Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov

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What happens when the rich control the news? UnSpun Rewind: Press in an Oligarchy Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Who really controls the news? And what happens when it's the wealthy? In this UnSpun, rewind, Dr. Sturg explores the role of the press in an oligarchy, which is where a small, powerful elite shapes public perception through media ownership, restricted access, and censorship. From billionaire-backed news outlets to state-controlled media, learn how information is manipulated and some things journalists can do to fight back.

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Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media

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Why is the government targeting universities and the media? UnSpun Rewind on Authoritarians and the News Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

On this week's UnSpun, DrSturg explores why authoritarian governments target the press and educational institutions, and how these tactics are appearing in democracies worldwide:

Why authoritarian governments restrict press freedom:

Common tactics of information control:

The consequences of information control:

Ways to overcome the censorship

Resources mentioned:

Survey: http://bit.ly/UnSpunSurvey
Books: "Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News" and "We Are #AltGov: Social Media Resistance from the Inside"

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Why does everything feel broken? How newsmakers use sabotage methods to undermine your confidence in your government Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

There was a secret playbook for destroying governments and newsmakers use some of the same tactics on YOU right now.

What if the chaos in your government isn't an accident? In 1944, the OSS (now the CIA) wrote a classified manual teaching resistance fighters how to dismantle a Nazi occupation from within. Today, those same tactics are being used by governments, politicians and would-be authoritarians,and it's working.

In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg goes over the 5 sabotage strategies straight from the now declassified Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Learn what to look for with examples from recent news.

LINKS

The declassified OSS sabotage manual

JD Vance tweet with false information about immigrants eating pets

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Questions and Tips

TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com

Dr. Sturg’s Books

We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media

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

Less news, more noise: Why weaker newscasts are bad for democracy Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

America has more news shows than ever, but somehow, we have less information.

In this episode of UnSpun Journal Club, DrSturg looks as new research analyzing more than fifty years of American broadcast television news. Researchers found that advertising has expanded while substantive public-interest reporting has steadily declined.

She also looks at how political rhetoric shapes public perception, why language that divides people into "normal" and "abnormal" matters and the best thing you can do to fight it.

LINKS

The Vanderbilt TV News Archive

Original Paper from This Episode

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Dr. Sturg’s Books