News Over Noise
News & Politics
About
If you find yourself avoiding the news, you’re not alone. But what’s turning you off is likely not the news itself—it’s the noise surrounding it. News Over Noise explores the challenge of separating spin and click-bait from good journalism and why it matters. This podcast empowers our citizenry by giving listeners the tools they need to balance staying informed while protecting their well-being and the public good.
Episodes
- Crowdsourcing Reality: How Participatory Disinformation Is Shaping the News
Kate Starbird, a Professor at the University of Washington, discusses participatory disinformation and its influence on news and online discourse. Her work explores how online manipulation takes shape through collaborations between witting…
- Ghosts in the Machine: How the Cold War Broke the News
This episode of News Over Noise features Barbie Zelizer, discussing her research on how the Cold War influenced journalism. Zelizer, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, is the author of "How the Cold War Broke the News."
- Hollowing Out the Fourth Estate: Requiem for the Post-Gazette
Columnist Tony Norman discusses the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in his essay "Requiem for the Post-Gazette." The episode is a co-production of WPSU and Penn State’s Bellisario College of Communications.
- Trust Fall: The Long Slide of American Press Freedom
Timothy Richardson, Program Director for Journalism and Disinformation and former editor at The Washington Post, discusses the decline of American press freedom. He shares insights from his thirteen years at The Washington Post, covering m…
- Eat Your Broccoli: What Media Literacy Misses About Young People
This episode features Rachel Besharat Mann, PhD, discussing her research on how social media affects adolescents' interpretation of information related to civic identities and political ideology. Mann's work explores the foundation for adu…
- Place Your Bets: The Casino-fication of News
This episode of News Over Noise features Judd Legum, founder of the award-winning Popular Information newsletter. Legum discusses the "casino-fication" of news. The show is a co-production of WPSU and Penn State’s Bellisario College of Com…
- The Chilling Effect: The First Amendment, The Fourth Estate, and The Trump Administration
Dr. Amy Kristin Sanders, a First Amendment expert and professor at Penn State, discusses the First Amendment, the Fourth Estate, and the Trump Administration on News Over Noise.
- The Road More Traveled: How Misinformation Spreads
This episode of News Over Noise features Sofia Rubinson, an analyst at NewsGuard, discussing the spread of misinformation on social platforms and the role of AI in scaling false narratives. Rubinson also edits NewsGuard's 'Reality Check' n…
- Best Frenemies: AI’s Ambivalent Impact on News and Democracy
This News Over Noise episode, featuring guest co-host Jenna Spinelle from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, discusses the ambivalent impact of AI on news and democracy. Experts Pamela Brunskill (News Literacy Project) and Sean Marcus…
- When Universities Police the Press: The Fight Over Student Journalism
Jim Rodenbush, who has mentored student journalists for 16 years and managed media programs at multiple universities, discusses the complexities of universities policing student press. The episode highlights Rodenbush's experience, includi…
- Episode 310: News for Hire: How Billionaires Are Rewriting the Narrative
This episode features guest Eoin Higgins, discussing how billionaires are influencing media narratives. Higgins is the author of a new book on tech billionaires, the media, and the right.
- Episode 309: When Facts Aren’t Enough: Rethinking the Role of Fact-Checking
This episode features Dr. Michelle Amazeen discussing the role and limitations of fact-checking in combating misinformation. Her research on persuasion and media recognition, including her work on the Climate Disinformation Initiative, is…
- Episode 308: The Campus Free Speech Panic: Who’s Fueling the Misinformation Machine?
This episode features Professor Bradford Vivian of Penn State, author of "Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education." The discussion centers on the perceived panic surrounding free speech on college…
- Episode 307: Defunding Public Media: Threats, Stakes, and the Future of Democracy
This episode features Victor Pickard discussing the threats, stakes, and future of public media in relation to democracy. Pickard, a professor of Media Policy and Political Economy, shares insights from his research on media democracy and…
- Episode 306: The Internet Got Ensh**ified: Monopoly Power and the Fight for Digital Democracy
Author and activist Cory Doctorow joins News Over Noise to discuss the concept of "enshittification" and the impact of monopoly power on online platforms. The conversation explores issues related to digital democracy and the structure of B…
- Episode 305: The New Mainstream Media: How Lifestyle Podcasts are Becoming the Go-To Information Source for American Men
This episode explores the rise of lifestyle podcasts as a dominant information source for American men. Guests Davey Alba and Leon Yin, journalists from Bloomberg News, share their insights on this evolving media landscape.
- Episode 304: Call me Daddy: The Danger of Strongman Framing
Journalist Gil Duran, a political strategist and former spokesperson for prominent California politicians, discusses the dangers of 'strongman framing' in political discourse. He analyzes the use of political language and framing strategie…
- Episode 303: Changing the Spread: What Legalized Betting Means for Sports Reporting
Bill King, a senior writer for Sports Business Journal, joins News Over Noise to discuss the implications of legalized betting on sports reporting. The episode delves into how this shift affects the industry, drawing from King's extensive…
- Episode 302: Creating Equitable Newsrooms that Connect with Communities
Andrea Wenzel, author of "Antiracist Journalism" and "Community-Centered Journalism," shares insights on building equitable newsrooms and fostering community trust. Her research and experience, including work with NPR and international med…
- Episode 301: A Long Way From Cronkite: Implications of Streaming the News
Guest Cory Barker, an assistant teaching professor, discusses media industry convergence and legacy media's use of new technologies. His research includes a book on the U.S. television industry's failed social media revolution.
- Episode 211: Skipping the Horse Race: Issues-Based Election Reporting
This episode features guests Elizabeth Estrada, democracy editor at Spotlight PA, and Scott Blanchard, director of journalism at WITF, discussing issues-based election reporting. The episode is a co-production of WPSU and Penn State’s Bell…
- Episode 210: The Ultimate Noise: AI and News Pollution
Guest Jack Brewster, Enterprise Editor for NewsGuard, joins News Over Noise to discuss 'The Ultimate Noise: AI and News Pollution.' The episode touches on Brewster's background covering misinformation and extremism.
- Episode 209: Podcasts: News to Your Ears
This episode features Chenjerai Kumanyika, an assistant professor specializing in audio journalism and critical analysis of historical myths related to race and American history. He discusses his work on podcasts such as Uncivil and Scene…
- Episode 208: Bad Press: The Muskogee Creek Citizens’ Fight to Protect Freedom of the Press
Guests Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Angel Ellis discuss the documentary 'Bad Press,' which examines the fight for press freedom within the Muscogee Creek Nation. The podcast explores their advocacy work and the impact of the film, which re…
- Episode 207: Covering the Cover-up of Climate Change
Geoff Dembicki, an investigative climate journalist and author, joins News Over Noise to discuss the cover-up of climate change. Dembicki contributes to DeSmog and wrote The Petroleum Papers.
- Episode 206: Breaking the News to Fix It
Emily Ramshaw, CEO of The 19th*, joins News Over Noise to discuss her work at the nonprofit newsroom focused on gender, politics, and policy. The 19th* aims to amplify marginalized voices in American media.
- Episode 205: Vertical Journalism: The Future of News?
Enrique Anarte, a reporter with experience at Thomson Reuters Foundation, DW, and NBC News, discusses the potential of vertical journalism. He currently leads Thomson Reuters Foundation's TikTok team for Openly, focusing on LGBTQ+ news and…
- Episode 204: Saving Democracy Through Modeling Healthy News Habits
Professor Stephanie Edgerly discusses her research on how new media features affect news consumption and audience engagement. Her work also explores why people avoid news and their varying definitions of what constitutes news.
- Episode 203: When Tech Reporting Needs an Upgrade
In this episode of News Over Noise, host(s) discuss the current landscape of tech reporting with guest Karl Bode, an experienced freelance reporter. Bode shares insights from his two decades of experience covering various aspects of the te…
- Episode 202: Hope, Helplessness, and Health Misinformation
This episode of News Over Noise features Jessica Gall Myrick, PhD, a professor of Health Communication at Penn State. Dr. Myrick shares insights into her research on the psychological responses to media messages concerning health, science,…
- Episode 201: The Case for Change: How Business-as-Usual Political Reporting Threatens Democracy
Will Bunch, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, joins News Over Noise to discuss how conventional political reporting can negatively impact democracy. News Over Noise is a co-production of WPSU and Penn State’s Bellisario College of…
- U.S. Media Literacy Week Special Edition
This special U.S. Media Literacy Week edition of News Over Noise features host Matt Jordan interviewing Michelle Ciulla Lipkin and Megan Fromm from the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). They discuss the mission and…
- Episode 110: Rebuilding Trust Through Solutions Journalism
This episode of News Over Noise features James Causey discussing solutions journalism, a reporting approach that focuses on empowering communities to address social issues. Causey, a reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, explains how…
- Episode 109: Protecting Public Interest: The Role of Regulation in Media
News Over Noise features hosts Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan discussing media ownership and regulation with former FCC commissioner Michael Copps and Penn State researcher Sydney L. Forde. They explore why media diversity matters and the ro…
- Episode 108: A Pro-democracy Case Against Objectivity
Journalist Lewis Raven Wallace joins News Over Noise hosts Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan to discuss the concept of journalistic neutrality. Wallace, a critique of the notion that "objectivity" is a catchall for accurate journalism, shares h…
- Episode 107: Overcoming Pride and Prejudice Through Persuasion
Hosts Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan talk with Anand Giridharadas, author of "The Persuaders," about the cost of disengaging from conversations with people who hold different views, instead of attempting to persuade them.
- Episode 106: Trolling the News in an Attention Economy
This episode discusses media manipulation tactics such as trolling and butterfly attacks, and their detrimental effects on democracy. Dr. Joan Donovan, an expert in media manipulation and disinformation, explains these tactics and offers a…
- Episode 105: Social Media: Friend or Foe to the News Cycle?
This episode of News Over Noise discusses social media's significant role in the modern news cycle, especially for younger demographics, and features journalist Annie Wu discussing its power to influence news, politics, and public opinion.
- Episode 104: The Danger of the `News Finds Me’ Mentality
The News Over Noise episode 'The Danger of the News Finds Me Mentality' discusses how relying on smartphone information feeds can create a false sense of being informed, impacting civic engagement and overall understanding of world events.
- Episode 103: What’s Missing From Economic News?
This episode features Bob Frick, Navy Federal’s Corporate Economist, discussing how to identify quality economic news reporting. The conversation covers cutting through buzzwords to understand economic conditions and trends.
- Episode 102: What Happened to Local News?
This episode of News Over Noise discusses the disappearance of local news outlets and its effect on civic engagement. Host(s) interview Tim Lambert, Multimedia News Director at WITF, to explore the current state of local news and provide a…
- Episode 101: News Avoidance and Why It Matters
This episode of News Over Noise features hosts Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan discussing news avoidance with Dr. Kirsten Eddy. They examine the high rate of news avoidance in the U.S. and explore strategies for overcoming reluctance to engag…