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
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:
We often talk about headlines, but less about the deeper frameworks shaping how news gets made.
In this episode of News Over Noise, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with Barbie Zelizer from Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania about How the Cold War Broke the News and the lasting influence of Cold War logic on journalism. Drawing on decades of research, she explores how ideas like objectivity, balance, and access were shaped during that period and how they continue to structure coverage today.
I found this one especially interesting for how clearly it connects past media systems to the way news is produced and interpreted now.
When I was an undergrad at Point Park University, I signed up for a free student subscription to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I remember holding the paper in my hands and feeling like it marked a shift into adulthood.
That experience is part of why the news that the Post-Gazette will cease operations next month feels personal and why the latest episode of News Over Noise hits home for me.
In this episode Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with journalist Tony Norman about the paper’s unraveling and what it reveals about the state of local journalism.
Drawing on more than three decades in the newsroom, Norman reflects on the loss of local reporting capacity, the risks of becoming disconnected from the communities journalists are meant to serve, and the structural pressures reshaping the industry.
I was honored to produce two videos for Penn State University’s inaugural Innovation Impact Awards, celebrating the people and partnerships driving research, collaboration, and real-world impact.
I had the opportunity to tell the stories behind the Beecher Loftus Technology Transfer Catalyst Award, recognizing Chevron Studio, and the Innovation Lion Award, presented to Brett Scofield. These awards highlight the vital role of innovation in translating research into meaningful outcomes, from industry collaboration to advancing mental health tools.
Projects like these are a reminder of how powerful storytelling can be in making complex work visible, accessible, and human.
You can read more about the award recipients at Penn State News.
Beecher Loftus Technology Transfer Catalyst Award, recognizing Chevron Studio
Innovation Lion Award, presented to Brett Scofield
Trust in the media does not collapse overnight. It erodes over time. And that trust, or lack of it, matters.
In the latest episode of News Over Noise, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with Tim Richardson about what is behind the long slide of American press freedom and what it means for democracy.
“Trust Fall: The Long Slide of American Press Freedom” examines how political pressure, economic instability, and changes in the information ecosystem are reshaping journalism in the United States.
The conversation explores the forces driving skepticism toward the press and what that means for accountability, truth, and public discourse.
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