# Less news, more noise: Why weaker newscasts are bad for democracy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unspun-6601575/less-news-more-noise-why-weaker-newscasts-are-bad-for-democracy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unspun-6601575/less-news-more-noise-why-weaker-newscasts-are-bad-for-democracy.md
Podcast: [Unspun](https://stenobird.com/podcast/unspun-6601575)
Published: 2026-07-21T11:00:20+00:00
Episode link: https://mswmedia.com/show/unspun/
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/audio3.redcircle.com/episodes/c85087af-a0c8-4a8e-b661-d8263d6087ab/stream.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unspun-6601575/episodes/less-news-more-noise-why-weaker-newscasts-are-bad-for-democracy
Duration seconds: 1094

## Resource

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 Follow Dr. Sturg BlueSky - Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites - Sturg says | Unspun’s Substack Questions and Tips TheUnspunPodcast@gmail.com Dr. Sturg’s Books Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News We are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social Media Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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## Transcript

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