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Critical Frequency

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Channel • 12 Shows

Earth Sciences

Earth Sciences

Weekly series
Documentary

Documentary

Updated weekly
History

History

Updated weekly
Parenting

Parenting

Updated weekly
History

History

Updated 29/10/2018
History

History

Updated 27/05/2019
TV & Film

TV & Film

Updated 06/01/2019

10/06/2025

S12, Ep2: The Trial Begins

Alleen arrives in North Dakota for jury selection and is shocked watching it play out. The judge won't allow recording in the court, jurors who flat-out say they are biased against activists or are directly involved in the fossil fuel industry are put on the jury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/06/2025

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37 min
26/10/2021

S1 Ep1 | Fake Experts and Real Bacon

In this episode we'll meet the godfathers of American PR, Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays, and explore the origins and evolution of industry-funded experts who shaped everything from the breakfast table to our understanding of the economy and science. Read more: http://rigged.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26/10/2021

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29 min
SEASON 11, EPISODE 9 BONUS

Malcolm Harris on the Radical, Liberating Possibilities of Realism

In his latest book, What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis, Malcolm Harris encourages us to see the climate crisis for the complicated and terrifying problem that it is and tackle it at the scale it deserves. Here, he speaks to reporter Adam Lowenstein about what that looks like and how surprisingly good it can feel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 11, Episode 9 Bonus

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52 min
07/12/2021

S1 Ep6 | How a Standard Oil PR Guy Shaped Post-War America

In 1944 the greatest threat to American industry wasn't World War II, it was convincing Americans to fall back in love with free-market capitalism after having experienced government systems that actually worked for the greater good. In the season finale of Rigged, we lay out the strategy contained in a never-before-published confidential document from the archive of Earl Newsom, Standard Oil of New Jersey's (today ExxonMobil) top PR guy from the late '30s to the late '60s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

07/12/2021

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35 min
16/11/2021

S1 Ep4 | The Birth of SponCon

The legendary Herb Schmertz, VP of Mobil Oil, worked with PBS and The New York Times to invent sponsored content—sponcon—back in the 1960s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16/11/2021

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29 min
30/11/2021

S1 Ep5 | Fun with Front Groups

Astroturfing—the creation of fake grassroots groups to agitate for pro-business policies—has been a favorite tactic of industries and companies trying to avoid regulation for decades. In this episode we take a look at some of the greatest hits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30/11/2021

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27 min
09/11/2021

S1 Ep3 | A Tie Is A Win

The tactic of science denial is fairly well known these days. In this episode, we dig into a lesser-known aspect: the PR strategy behind science denial, and the origins and architects of that strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09/11/2021

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36 min
01/08/2023

Herb, Ep 3: The Next Citizens United Will Be a Climate Case

In more than 30 climate cases making their way through U.S. courts today, oil companies are using an argument they've been laying the legal groundwork for since the 1970s: that since everything they've ever said about climate change was in the interest of shaping policy or blocking regulation, it's protected speech, even if it was misleading. In this episode we take a look at how those cases are playing out and the likelihood that this new take on "corporate free speech" could make it all the way to the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

01/08/2023

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27 min
16/09/2025

S14, Ep1 | Welcome to the World of Obstruction

For at least a decade now, there’s been growing agreement around the fact that what’s stopping the world from addressing the climate crisis is not a lack of data or scientific certainty, or a lack of technological or policy measures available to address it. The problem is a lack of political will. And that didn't just happen; political will has been intentionally obstructed at every turn. As we gear up for the 30th UN climate summit, a new book pulls together everything we know about how this happened and what can be done about it. To prep for COP, Amy's reading the whole thing and talking to the researchers along the way. In today's episode, Amy's joined by Timmons Roberts (Brown University), Jennifer Jacquet (University of Miami), Carlos Milani (Rio de Janeiro State University), and Christian Downie (Australian National University) to through an overview of what we're dealing with and what we can expect in the year ahead. You can check out the book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/climate-obstruction-9780197787151?cc=us&lang=en& And download it for free from that same link after October 14th! You can also check out the Climate Social Science Network here: https://cssn.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16/09/2025

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1h 8m
28/08/2018

Exploiting Scientists' Kryptonite: Certainty

In addition to using journalists' views on their own objectivity against them, oil companies exploited various weaknesses in science, namely scientists' tendency toward not prioritizing or valuing good communication skills, and their absolute refusal to be certain about anything. Support us: https://www.patreon.com/Drilled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28/08/2018

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14 min

Drilled is a true-crime climate change podcast exposing how corporate corruption and political operatives built decades of climate denial and delay. Hosted and reported by award-winning investigative climate journalists and led by Amy Westervelt, each season unravels new evidence of deception, disinformation, and the power structures keeping real climate solutions out of reach. Season 15 coming April 2026.

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EARTH SCIENCES
Law & Order meets the climate crisis as we dig into the stories behind the hundreds of climate cases around the globe.

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DOCUMENTARY
In Rigged, we’ll rummage through the bag of tricks used by PR to shape the world you live in. Over the last century, these tricks have rigged the media, the government… society, really...with sometimes ridiculous, and sometimes profoundly serious effects on our democracy. This is a podcast about that war for hearts and minds right here on US soil.

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HISTORY