News Over Noise: Best Frenemies: AI’s Ambivalent Impact on News and Democracy

News Over Noise: Best Frenemies: AI’s Ambivalent Impact on News and Democracy

by | Dec 15, 2025 | News Over Noise, What's New

Sneak peek at Season 4 of News Over Noise!

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we create, consume, and trust information and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In this special crossover episode of News Over Noise, Cory Barker and guest co-host Jenna Spinelle dig into AI’s impact on news, education, and democracy with three leading voices in media literacy:

–Sean Marcus, Poynter Institute
–Pamela Brunskill, News Literacy Project
–Jenna Meleedy, National Association for Media Literacy Education

Together, they unpack:
-The rise of deepfakes and the “liar’s dividend”
-Why speed and verification are increasingly in tension
-How educators and journalists are helping audiences navigate misinformation
-What ethical AI use can (and should) look like in the newsroom

This conversation gets at a core question for our moment: How do we maintain trust when technology can fabricate almost anything?

Listen to the episode: News Over Noise 401.

News Over Noise explores how to separate spin and clickbait from quality journalism and why that skill is essential for a healthy democracy. A co-production of WPSU and Penn State College of Commuications.

News Over Noise: When Universities Police the Press: The Fight Over Student Journalism

News Over Noise: When Universities Police the Press: The Fight Over Student Journalism

by | Dec 15, 2025 | News Over Noise, What's New

Sneak peek at Season 4 of News Over Noise!

When student journalists at Indiana University published routine accountability reporting, they didn’t expect pushback from the institution they were covering. What followed raises urgent questions about press freedom, power, and who gets to decide what counts as journalism.

In this episode of News Over Noise, hosts Matt Jordan and Cory Barker speak with Jim Rodenbush, former director of student media at Indiana University, about:
-The events that led to his removal
-Increasing institutional pressure on student newsrooms
-The political climate shaping higher education
-The growing divide between public relations priorities and independent reporting

The story unfolding in Indiana reflects a broader national trend, one with real consequences for student journalists, local communities, and the future of accountability reporting as local newsrooms continue to shrink.

Listen to the episode: News Over Noise 402.

News Over Noise explores how to separate spin and clickbait from quality journalism and why that skill is essential for a healthy democracy. A co-production of WPSU and the Penn State College of Commuications.