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

from Unspun · host Amanda Sturgill

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. LINKSThe Vanderbilt TV News ArchiveOriginal Paper from This EpisodeFollow Dr. SturgBlueSky -Prof. Amanda Sturgill (@DrSturg) Websites -Sturg says|Unspun’s SubstackQuestions and [email protected]. Sturg’s BooksDetecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake NewsWe are #AltGov: Inside the Resistance on Social MediaAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 21, 2026

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

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