Informed, Not Influenced — Kira Shishkin on Media Bias, News Minimalism, & Your Information Diet

Most people think they're informed. They're actually being influenced — and they can't tell the difference.In this episode of The Leader's Mindset, Jason LeDuc sits down with Kira Shishkin — founder and CEO of informed.now, the news-by-SMS service on a mission to put the power of facts back in your palm — to unpack the difference between being informed and being influenced, why sensationalism is a bigger sin than bias, and what a clean information diet looks like for a busy leader. Born in Ukraine, come of age in Israel, and now building in the US, Kira has watched misinformation raise the stakes in three very different societies — and he's built a company whose business model is designed, on purpose, to only ever answer to the reader.💡 Who should watch this episodeKira's perspective in this episode is great for:- Leaders and executives who need to be informed fast, without drowning in commentary- Founders building a company where the business model has to match the mission- Anyone who feels burned out by the news and wants a saner way to stay informed🤔 What you will learn:- The real difference between being informed and being influenced — and how to feel when it's happening to you- Why over-sensationalizing a story is more corrosive than slanting it left or right- "The reader is left as a product, sold by her eyeballs to the advertiser" — how ad-driven incentives quietly shape what you read- What "attention terrorism" means: hijacking your attention with clickbait, then holding it hostage- Why a leader's information diet should be the least information needed to act with confidence — not the most🔑 Practical ideas you can use this week1) Before you trust a story, ask: is this pointing me to a primary source, or just to another article? If there's no link to the original, treat it as commentary.2) Look at the ad running next to what you're reading. It tells you who the outlet actually answers to — and that's not an accident.3) Run an "attention audit": journal where your time and attention actually go for a week, then decide what you want to cut.4) Borrow informed.now's writing standard for your team: straight to the point, every claim cited, hard figures compared to the prior period — no fluff.💬 Question for you:Think about how you got informed this week — did you go looking for the facts, or did you mostly absorb what a favorite outlet told you to feel?Onward and Upward! 🚀✅ If you got value from this episode, do these 3 things:1) Like this video – It helps more people find these insights.2) Subscribe – New leadership content every week!3) Share this episode with a leader who needs to hear this!📌 Exclusive Leadership ProgramsWant to take your leadership development to the next level?📖 Take charge of your own leadership development with our online program: https://www.leducleadership.com/bethebossprogram🏛️ Leadership Academy for Tech Managers: https://www.leducleadership.com/leadershipacademy📅 Book a discovery call: https://link.marketingmoneymachine.co/widget/bookings/training-discoveryHow to reach Kira Shishkin:Website: https://informed.nowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/informed.now/How to reach Jason LeDuc:Email: [email protected]: https://www.leducleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadership🗞️ Stay informed without the noise: today's guest is behind informed.now — the news-by-text service I use every day and have partnered with. The day's news texted straight to you, free of bias, clickbait, and ads. Try it: https://infmd.co/jldDisclosure: This description contains an affiliate link. If you upgrade to informed.now premium I may earn a small referral, at no extra cost to you. I partnered with them because I use and believe in the product.