Newsrooms are shrinking and experienced reporters are getting pushed onto Substack or into freelance work.

Does it change the news you receive when journalism moves from institutions to individuals?

In this episode of UnSpun, DrSturg looks at the complicated trade-offs that come with at the rise of freelance and independent journalism. From Washington Post layoffs to Substack newsletters, and from Don Lemon’s arrest to Nick Shirley's video about Minnesota daycares, we she considers how ethics, accountability, legal protection, and financial pressure change when journalists work alone.

Independence can mean freedom, but it can also mean exposure.

This episode breaks down research from multiple countries on how unstable working conditions shape the type of information produced — and what that means for you, as you get your news. .

If you care about media literacy, press freedom, journalism ethics, misinformation, or the future of news, this conversation matters.

Check out DrSturg's book, Detection Deception: Tools to fight fake news. Link takes you to independent bookstores, but the big guys have it, too. And find her on Bluesky and Instagram.

Episode photo: by Bickanski on Pixnio

Why don't fact checks stop fake news from spreading?

In this episode of UnSpun Journal Club, I break down research by Carlos Diaz Ruiz from the Hanken School of Economics that argues disinformation spreads not just because people believe it, but because digital media markets reward it.

We look at how attention turns into money. How platforms, advertisers, and influencers all benefit when content spreads fast—whether it’s true or not. From Macedonian fake news sites during the 2016 U.S. election to modern social media algorithms, this episode explains the problem when disinformation pays.

We also explore the role of the First Amendment, global platforms like X, and why regulating misinformation is harder than it sounds—especially when U.S. tech companies operate across borders.

Find Dr. Ruiz's paper here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448231207644

Political change doesn't start with politics. Evidence suggests something else happens first.

In this episode of UnSpun, we look at how media attention, repetition, and trust quietly shape what ideas feel acceptable long before policy is written. And news events like shooting protesters in Minneapolis can get liberals talking about gun rights and conservatives advocating for the right to protest a republican government.

Using real research and real-world examples,, explore how

• Media environments shape what politicians think voters want

• Repetition turns controversial ideas into “common sense”

• Attacking the press weakens accountability

• Social pressure locks new norms into place

This episode isn’t about telling you what to think.

It’s about helping you notice how the conversation itself gets shaped.

Stay sharp.