Unspun
Amanda Sturgill
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Top 10 Unspun Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Unspun episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Unspun for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Unspun episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
09/17/24 • 28 min
When it comes to political movements, students and other young people are useful allies. In this episode, Dr. Sturg and author Kyle Spencer talk about Spencer's book, Raising them Right. Plus, friend of the show Israel Balderas breaks down the law on campaigns using songs the artist wishes they wouldn't.
Follow journalist Kyle Spencer
Twitter - @KyleYSpencer
Website - Kyle Spencer
Twitter - @jisraelbalderas
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
Dr. Sturg’s Books
01/09/24 • 47 min
Do high-profile debates truly shift opinions or votes? On this episode, Dr. Sturg gets into the studies to see if debates produce real changes. From Kennedy-Nixon to Romney-Obama, she looks at famous debates and explores what the research says about impacts on voters.
She also looks the logical flaw of hasty generalization, using debate slip-ups as case studies. See how speakers and listeners both frequently overgeneralize from single examples.
Plus, she talks about 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.
Find out whether debates live up to the hype. Learn how to catch hasty generalizations. Get an expert take on improving polling for future elections. Get UnSpun.
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Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites - Sturg says | Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538141045/Detecting-Deception-Tools-to-Fight-Fake-News
We are #AltGov
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-Inside
12/26/23 • 17 min
It's the holidays, and that means visits with those challenging relatives and chance encounters when you travel. In this episode, Dr. Sturg reviews some ideas from communication studies about how to have productive conversations with people you disagree with.
Why do grown adult politicians call other people mean names? Personal attacks are designed to make you trust the other person less, and they are deceptive. In this episode of UnSpun, learn about how those attacks work, and how a little laughter can make politics easier to take, as Dr. Sturg and Canadian comedy influencer Brittlestar talk about the power of comedy in news.
Send us your questions and comments at [email protected] and don't forget to like and subscribe!
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Website - Sturg says
The Book - We are #AltGov
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-Inside
10/22/24 • 15 min
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
Dr. Sturg’s Books
03/19/24 • 32 min
Google and other search engines are an essential part of digital life. There's so much information online that we need help finding what we need. But that search doesn't give you all the information or even necessarily the best information. In this week's UnSpun, Dr. Sturg runs down the research on internet search and she and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert Matt Diamanté from Ontario's Hey Tony Agency go through what businesses will do to be at the top of the page when you search.
Also, Dr. Sturg talks about the Fallacy of Composition - where excellent NBA players working together became a disappointing Olympic team.
Follow Matt Diamante
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Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
Dr. Sturg’s Books
08/27/24 • 32 min
Sometimes to get to the truth, a reporter just has to start knocking on doors. In this week's UnSpun, DrSturg talks to award-winning journalist Joe Bruno about his work uncovering a voter fraud scheme in North Carolina. Plus, warm up is back with several examples of the fallacy of authority for you to try your skills.
Learn more about the scheme and the reporters in The Vote Collectors.
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions and Tips
Dr. Sturg’s Books
11/21/23 • 17 min
What does Jan. 6 have to do with cherry picking? A lot, it turns out. Find out how. Plus Dr. Sturg tells what the research says about Thanksgiving dinner with the relatives. Can you change Aunt Gladys's mind?
11/19/24 • 14 min
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
Dr. Sturg’s Books
05/21/24 • 18 min
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.
Dr. Sturg breaks down the research on how you can get along and maybe even help someone change their mind.
Send us your questions and comments at [email protected] and don't forget to like and subscribe!
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Website - Sturg says
The Book - We are #AltGov
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538162095/We-Are-#ALTGOV-Social-Media-Resistance-from-the-Inside
10/15/24 • 33 min
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
Follow Dr. Sturg
Twitter -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) / X
Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s Substack
Questions,Tips, or just say hi!
Dr. Sturg’s Books
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FAQ
How many episodes does Unspun have?
Unspun currently has 52 episodes available.
What topics does Unspun cover?
The podcast is about News, Truth, News Commentary, Podcasts, Self-Improvement and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Unspun?
The episode title 'Dealing with difficult people (Aunt Gladys rides again)' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Unspun?
The average episode length on Unspun is 28 minutes.
How often are episodes of Unspun released?
Episodes of Unspun are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Unspun?
The first episode of Unspun was released on Sep 2, 2023.
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Show more FAQ