News Over Noise: Crowdsourcing Reality: How Participatory Disinformation Is Shaping the News

by Lindsey Fenton | May 7, 2026 | News Over Noise, What's New

Season 4 of News Over Noise wraps with a conversation that gets at one of the biggest challenges facing today’s information ecosystem: participatory disinformation.

In this episode, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with Kate Starbird (University of Washington) about how misinformation is no longer just “created and spread,” but actively shaped, remixed, amplified, and interpreted by online audiences in real time.

They explore:
• How platforms turn users into participants in the spread of information
• Why the line between audience and actor is increasingly blurred
• The role of online crowds in shaping narratives during crises and political moments
• What all of this means for journalism, trust, and the possibility of a shared reality

Listen here to the episode: News Over Noise 410.

A huge thank you to everyone who listened, shared, and supported Season 4!

News Over Noise is a co-production of WPSU and the Penn State College of Commuications.

News Over Noise: 20K Downloads

by Lindsey Fenton | May 1, 2026 | News Over Noise, What's New

20,000 downloads.

Producing four seasons of News Over Noise alongside hosts Matt Jordan, Cory Barker, and Leah Dajches, Ph.D. (seasons 1-2) has been an honor. This podcast has been a chance to explore how media is shaped and what that means for how we navigate the information we encounter. It’s also genuinely changed my own relationship with the news. Hitting the 20K milestone feels pretty meaningful. I’m proud of what we’ve built. Grateful for everyone who’s listened, shared, and been part of these conversations.

Here are the top 5 most downloaded episodes so far:

1. “Hope, Helplessness, and Health Misinformation” (Jessica Gall Myrick, PhD)
2. “Rebuilding Trust Through Solutions Journalism” (James Causey)
3. “Covering the Cover-up of Climate Change” (Geoff Dembicki)
4. “News Avoidance and Why It Matters” (Kirsten Eddy)
5. “Breaking the News to Fix It” (Emily Ramshaw)

News Over Noise is produced by Penn State College of Commuications and WPSU and is part of the Penn State News Literacy Initiative.