Unspun Amanda Sturgill

From COVID to presidential sex scandals, newsmakers use distraction to tell the story they want and take your attention from the story you *need*. In this episode of UnSpun, Dr. Sturg gives some examples of political distraction and she and award-winning journalist Ben Welsh talk about data journalism.

How does the news decide who to interview, and what do they do with people who just don't want to answer the questions? Dr. Sturg breaks it down in this week's mini-sode of UnSpun.

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.

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.

Headlines are an evolving 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.

Boys crying wolf aside, sometimes repeating a bold lie makes people more likely to believe it. In this week's Unspun, Dr. Sturg breaks down the big lie and guest Dr. Jennifer Mercieca talks about how politicians with no accountability to the truth are bad for democracy.