Misguided: The Podcast

A few years ago, Andrea Ellis was a rising wellness influencer. She was a certified integrative health practitioner, made six figures a year from Instagram alone, and had built a community of followers who trusted her the way you’d trust a close friend. Today, she’s one of the most thoughtful critics of the industry. I sat down with Andrea for the latest episode of Misguided: The Podcast , and we dive into not just why people fall for wellness misinformation, but the actual business mechanics behind it, and how closely those mechanics mirror the “Big Pharma” boogeyman the wellness world defines itself against. The wellness influencer economy People in medical freedom and wellness spaces often portray pharmaceutical companies as a shadowy cabal, accusing them of paying doctors under the table to push medications, hiding side effects, and profiting off sickness. But as Andrea explained, the wellness influencer economy can involve direct commissions for supplement sales, kickbacks for every lab test ordered, payments for name-dropping a product in a ten-second Instagram story, and very little oversight. Supplement companies still email her offers today, years after she stepped away from the industry. The dollar amounts she described, including thousands of dollars for steering clients toward a certification program and hundreds for a few seconds of screen time, make the “shill” accusation cut both ways. Faith, identity, and the pipeline Andrea and I also discussed how the wellness worldview maps onto certain Christian narrative frameworks: a fallen world, forces working against your health and wellbeing, the need to discern truth from deception, and the expectation that living rightly will draw persecution. Andrea described a pipeline she saw play out in real time during COVID: faith → conservative politics → conspiratorial thinking → wellness, with each reinforcing the others until it became difficult to tell where one identity ended and the next began. This is something I think about constantly in my own research: the more group memberships and identities someone shares with a source, the more credible that source can feel, regardless of whether the information holds up. When someone’s wellness influencer is also their fellow believer, fellow parent, fellow political ally, and fellow “truth-seeker,” that person’s claims may not get evaluated primarily on the evidence. They get evaluated through trust that was built somewhere else entirely. What could bring people back Andrea has watched people find their way out of these belief systems, but never because of one perfect debate or viral debunking. It’s slower than that: a stray thought that doesn’t sit right, a small inconsistency someone can’t shake, or a person outside the echo chamber they still trust enough to hear out. She called it being a “pebble in someone’s shoe.” Not an immediate conversion moment, just enough friction that, months or years later, it adds up or makes someone more open to listening to new perspectives. That’s a harder story to tell than the one the wellness world tells. Conspiracy narratives are simple, emotionally satisfying, and built for social media. “Eat well, move your body, sleep enough, and be patient” is true, but it doesn’t sell nearly as well. I really enjoyed this episode, and I think it provides a great overview of the wellness world while also showing how our identities and belief systems influence what we trust. You can listen to the full episode here or via the links below. As always, if you find my podcast useful or interesting, feel free to share it with someone who might also enjoy it. Follow Andrea on Instagram Keywords: Andrea Ellis, influencers, wellness, religion, social media, media literacy, science communication, health communication Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

I’m launching Misguided: The Audio Edition right here on the newsletter. It’s a chapter-by-chapter audio companion to the book, with updated commentary on everything that’s happened since it went to press. Today, that series begins, and this first episode is free for everyone. Before you hit play, let me tell you a little more about what this project actually is and why it exists. Why this series When my book Misguided came out in early 2025, one of the most common things people told me was that they wished there was an audio version. So did I. My publisher explored it but ultimately couldn’t make it work, so I decided to make it myself. And the more I worked on it, the more I realized this format has real advantages over a straight recording of the book. Misguided can be dense in parts as I pack in a lot of social science research. That was intentional as I wanted every major claim backed by evidence, and I didn’t want to oversimplify. But that also means it can be a lot to absorb all of those scientific studies. This audio series gives you the core insights from each chapter in a focused, listenable form, without all the footnotes and detailed study breakdowns slowing things down. The nuances from the evidence-based insights are all still there, in the print and digital editions, if you want to go deeper. Think of this as the essential version, the ideas you should walk away with, presented as directly as I can manage. And then there’s what I’m calling the author’s update. Each episode has two parts. A summary of the chapter’s core research and arguments. And then my own unscripted commentary, where I go from “author presenting the book” to “author reflecting a year later.” This covers what I’d add now, what’s happened in the world since the book went to press, and how the science connects to the moment we’re actually living in. That last part is where things get interesting, because the world has moved significantly in the year since I finalized the manuscript. The chapter on rebuilding trust in public health institutions reads very differently in 2026. So does the chapter on the future of AI and misinformation. And the chapter on how political identity shapes what we believe, well, the evidence keeps piling up. The book came out about a year ago. I think it’s more relevant now than when I wrote it. What’s coming in the series Here’s the full lineup. Each episode covers one chapter, with a summary of the key research and my updated commentary. This first episode is free for everyone. Episodes 2–8 are for paid subscribers only. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading, this is a good moment to try the format before you decide. This episode is also available on the Misguided podcast, so if you’re a longtime podcast listener, you’ll find it there automatically. Future episodes in the series will be for paid Substack subscribers only and won’t appear in the public podcast feed. Episode 1 — Introduction (free) What is the scope of this book, and why did a sociologist who started in neuroscience end up studying misinformation? Episode 2 — The Scope and Consequences of Misinformation How widespread is it, how can we measure it, and what does it actually cost us? Episode 3 — How Our Identities Make Us Vulnerable What is the psychology behind why we reject facts, and what can actually help? Episode 4 — COVID, Politics, and Talking Across the Divide How did a virus become partisan, and what does the evidence say about having difficult conversations across that divide? Episode 5 — How Social Networks Spread Misinformation Who we know shapes what we believe, but how exactly, and what can help? Episode 6 — Vaccine Misinformation and Rebuilding Trust How does the anti-vaccine movement work, and can institutions earn trust back? Episode 7 — Media Literacy, Critical Ignoring, and Prebunking What education actually works, and what’s just wishful thinking? Episode 8 — The Future of Misinformation, Revisited I wrote this chapter during the AI explosion. One year in: what did I get right, what did I miss, and where is this all heading now? Episodes will drop roughly weekly. A personal note before you listen I submitted the last major revisions of Misguided on January 15th, 2025. About a week later, I received an email telling me my position at Notre Dame had been eliminated. The grant funding it had been cut for not aligning with the new administration’s priorities. The goal of that grant was simply to advance media literacy in the US, and in Southeast Asia, which is under-researched in this space. I was working on tools to help people recognize AI-generated video and understand why they trust information from chatbots. Nothing partisan. None of it mattered. It was a difficult period. Science and health funding was being cut broadly, misinformation research specifically was under attack, and finding a new position in that environment was genuinely hard. I cobbled things together: adjuncting, consulting, growing this newsletter and podcast, searching for funding for the science communication nonprofit I work with, The Evidence Collective. I also landed a research contract with Georgetown, as part of the Lancet Commission on health, faith, and trust, which I’ll talk more about when we get to the chapters on vaccines and institutional trust. Eventually, I found a wonderful new job at the Yale School of Public Health, where I study how and why people trust health information, and help run science communication training on campus. It’s a great fit and opportunity. I share all of this because it’s part of the story of why this series exists, and because it connects directly to what the book is about: the structural forces that shape what we know and what we’re allowed to say. The same year my book about misinformation went to press, misinformation research in the United States was severely defunded. While my book focuses on the social psychology of why we believe falsehoods, I also cover some structural issues, and the updated commentary of each chapter allows me to spend a little more time on that level as well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast , I’m joined by Dr. Patrick Johnson, a journalism scholar at Marquette University whose work focuses on news literacy, trust in journalism, and the relationship between media institutions and the communities they serve. Before entering academia, Patrick spent years teaching high school journalism, an experience that continues to shape how he thinks about journalism not simply as information delivery, but as a form of public education. We begin by discussing why trust in journalism has become so fractured, and why treating distrust as a single problem misses the bigger picture. Patrick explains how different communities experience journalism differently, from conservatives who feel misrepresented to marginalized groups whose distrust is rooted in histories of exclusion or harm. Rather than reducing trust to a survey metric, he argues that rebuilding it requires deeper engagement with communities and a rethinking of journalism’s role in public life. From there, we dig into Patrick’s research on what he calls metacognitive news literacy : the idea that journalists themselves must model transparency, reflection, and critical thinking if they want audiences to better understand how news is produced and evaluated. We also discuss the parallels between journalism and public health, why local news ecosystems matter so much, and how stronger relationships between institutions and communities can help rebuild trust. We close on a more hopeful note, discussing why Patrick remains optimistic about the future of journalism despite the challenges it faces. His answer ultimately comes back to people, the journalists trying to improve their craft, the students shaping the future, and the possibility that institutions can still grow into something better. You can listen to the full episode here or via the links below. As always, if you find my podcast useful or interesting, feel free to share it with someone who might also enjoy it. Patrick’s website TrustingNews.org News Avoidance and LGBTQ+ Coverage Follow Patrick on LinkedIn Keywords: Patrick Johnson, media literacy, news literacy, journalism, science communication, health communication Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Jared Stacy, a theologian and former pastor who studies how conspiracy theories take root within evangelical communities. Jared completed his PhD in ethics at the University of Aberdeen and is the author of the new book Reality in Ruins , which examines how disinformation becomes uniquely resistant to correction when it gets woven into religious belief. We start by talking about Jared’s concept of holy paranoia: the idea that conspiracy theory isn’t a bug in American evangelicalism but a feature. The core argument is that once conspiratorial thinking gets absorbed into a religious story, fact-checking alone can’t dislodge it. It’s not that people lack access to good information; it’s that the conspiracy has already been integrated into something that feels coherent, total, and true. From there, we dig into the media ecosystems that make this possible — the radio networks, podcasts, and influencers that create a seamlessly reinforcing reality for many evangelical Christians, one where conservative political content and worship music flow together without friction or distinction. We close by discussing what science communicators and public health professionals get wrong when trying to reach faith communities, and why Jared believes the most effective interventions will require theologians and scientists working together rather than talking past each other. You can listen to the full episode here or via the links below. As always, if you find my podcast useful or interesting, feel free to share it with someone who might also enjoy it. Buy Jared’s book: Reality In Ruins Jared’s website Follow Jared on Threads and Instagram Keywords: Jared Stacy, disinformation, conspiracy theories, religion, Evangelicalism, media, science communication Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Cecilie Steenbuch-Traberg, a professor at the Copenhagen Business School who studies how social context shapes our susceptibility to misinformation, and what interventions actually work to counter it. Cecilie’s path into the field took a detour through marketing before she found her true passion: not trying to persuade people, but protecting them from being persuaded. We start by talking about how the classic p re-bunking games (like Bad News and Harmony Square) hold up when you test them in more realistic social conditions. The short answer is that they mostly work, but people are still vulnerable to the surrounding social cues: who’s sharing something, how many likes it has, whether the source feels politically similar to you. Even a handful of comments can make a fringe belief feel like consensus. That gap between individual-level learning and real-world social context is where Cecilie sees the biggest unmet need. From there, we dig into her new project, Solomon’s Secret: a murder mystery game designed to teach social influence literacy without ever announcing that it’s a misinformation game. The goal is to reach people who would never seek out a media literacy tool, by making the learning feel incidental to the fun. We also connect this to some of my own research comparing pre-bunking games across cultural contexts. We close by discussing how AI is reshaping both the threat and the opportunity. AI can certainly be used as a tool for scaling manipulation, but it can also help personalize interventions in ways that weren’t previously possible. You can listen to the full episode here or via the links below. As always, if you find it useful, feel free to share it with someone who might benefit from the conversation. Follow Cecilie on LinkedIn Cecilie’s website Cecilie’s Google Scholar Solomon’s Secret Keywords: Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg, prebunking, media literacy, AI, social influence, psychological inoculation, social media, psychology Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

Here is my live video chat with Mike Nellis as a bonus podcast episode. I really enjoyed our conversation about the social psychology of why we believe false information, and how we can strengthen our media literacy through strategies like critical ignoring. We also discussed the broader structural and platform-level challenges that make today’s information environment so difficult to navigate. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast , I’m joined by Dr. Steve Rathje, who is a social psychology postdoc at NYU, and a soon-to-be assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Steve’s work sits at the intersection of psychology, social media, and artificial intelligence. Steve studies how platform design, attention, and emerging technologies shape political polarization, belief formation, and online behavior. We begin by talking about Steve’s non-traditional path into psychology, which started in theater before turning into a research career focused on how people think, feel, and behave online. From there, we dig into some of his most influential work on social media, including why posts that target political outgroups are often the most likely to go viral, and what that reveals about algorithms that reward outrage, mockery, and conflict. We then explore more hopeful findings from Steve’s research on unfollowing hyper-partisan influencers, showing how small, targeted changes to people’s information diets can reduce out-party hostility over time without requiring users to leave social media altogether. Finally, we turn to AI chatbots and Steve’s recent experiments on “sycophancy”—when AI systems become overly agreeable. We discuss how affirming chatbots can quietly increase belief certainty and extremity while still being perceived as warm, competent, and unbiased, and what this means for confirmation bias, persuasion, and the future design of AI systems. You can listen to the full episode here or using the links below. As always, if you find it useful, feel free to share it with someone who might benefit from the conversation. Follow Sander on TikTok , Instagram , Bluesky or LinkedIn Steve’s website with links to his research papers Keywords: Steve Rathje, virality, AI chatbots, polarization, social media, psychology, science communication, TikTok Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast , I’m joined by Sander van der Linden , who is a professor of social psychology at the University of Cambridge and one of the leading researchers studying misinformation, propaganda, and how people can build resistance to manipulation. If you’re familiar with the idea of “prebunking,” or psychological inoculation (training people to recognize misinformation before they encounter it), much of that work traces back to Sander’s research. We begin by talking about his non-traditional path into psychology, from leaving a banking job to discovering research as a career, and how early experiences with being misled sparked a deeper interest in influence and propaganda. From there, we dig into what psychological inoculation actually is, why simply giving people facts often isn’t enough, and how tools like the Bad News game help people recognize manipulation techniques across political and cultural contexts. We then zoom out to the broader information ecosystem, including the economics of fake social media accounts and how cheap it has become to spread inauthentic activity at scale, especially in an age of AI. Finally, we discuss what effective responses might look like, from education and platform responsibility to why Sander remains cautiously optimistic despite the very real challenges ahead. You can listen to the full episode here or the links below. As always, if you find it useful, feel free to share it with someone who might benefit from the conversation. Follow Sander on Bluesky or LinkedIn Sander’s Book: Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity Sander’s website. Cambridge Online Trust and Safety Index Keywords: Sander van der Linden, prebunking, media literacy, AI, fake accounts, foolproof, psychological inoculation, social media, psychology Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided , I’m joined by Renee DiResta to talk about how she went from a winding career in tech, finance, and Silicon Valley startups to becoming one of the leading analysts of online influence. Renée traces the shift back to a personal moment: after having her first child in 2013, she noticed a concerning amount of anti-vaccine content across Facebook communities. She started quietly studying those communities and doing network analysis at night, work that eventually became her full-time focus. We spend a lot of time on a core idea from her book Invisible Rulers “bespoke realities.” Renée argues that blaming everything on “the algorithm” misses what truly pulls people into false worlds. Algorithms may guide people toward certain groups, but it’s the communities themselves —identity, belonging, alternative experts, and self-contained information loops—that keep people inside and make outside institutions seem corrupt or irrelevant. From there, we turn to AI. Renée sees chatbots and answer engines as the next major force in shaping reality. As more people skip searching and instead ask a preferred bot for the truth, the information battle moves upstream to the training and reference layer of the internet (especially Wikipedia). Influence those sources, and you can influence what AI confidently repeats back. Finally, we talk about why scientific and medical institutions keep losing ground online. They’re limited by incentives, risk-averse cultures, and a decade-long “network debt” compared to misinformation influencers. Renée’s conclusion is direct: if institutions want to stay relevant, they need to show up where people actually are, build genuine relationships in communities, and treat communication as central to their mission, not a side task or liability. Follow Renee on Threads Follow Renee on Bluesky Renee’s Book: Invisible Rulers Renee’s articles mentioned during this episode: For Expertise to Matter, Nonpartisan Institutions Need New Communications Strategies Source Wars and Bespoke Realities: Wikipedia, Grokipedia, and The Battle for Truth Free Speech Is Not the Same As Free Reach Keywords: Renee DiResta, social networks, vaccine attitudes, AI, misinformation, AI chatbots, bespoke realities, invisible rulers Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk with philosopher and author Andy Norman, founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative and author of Mental Immunity . Andy shares how a provocative 1990s essay by Richard Dawkins sparked his lifelong pursuit to understand how bad ideas spread, and how we can protect our minds from them. We unpack what it means to build mental immunity, why sketchy ideas behave like mind-viruses, and how habits of curiosity, humility, and self-reflection strengthen our cognitive defenses. Our conversation spans from the philosophy of reasoning to practical education reform, teaching students to “debug their minds,” recognize manipulation, and build communities of inquiry that value truth over tribalism. Together we explore how critical thinking, critical ignoring, and cognitive germ theory can help us navigate today’s polluted information ecosystem, and why thinking is not only power, but freedom. Do Minds Have Immune Systems? (article) Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think (book) Andy Norman’s site CIRCE- The Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (Institute) Declaration of CIRCE’s Blue-Ribbon Panel (vision statement and call to action) The Mental Immunity Project (educational resources for strengthening mental immune systems) Keywords: Andy Norman, cognitive immunology, critical thinking, critical ignoring, education, mind viruses, inoculation, belief Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk with sociologist and author Barry Markovsky about his path into social science and his career studying science vs. pseudoscience. Barry shares lessons from his hit “Sociology of the Paranormal” class, previews his forthcoming book Everyday Extraordinary, which pairs front-stage stories with back-stage analysis, and explains how social networks and identity shape what we believe. We also talk about writing, AI’s effect on thinking, and finding a sense of wonder through science instead of the supernatural. I was fortunate to take several of Barry’s classes in graduate school, and he also served as an advisor on my master’s thesis, so it was very cool to have him on my podcast. Barry’s forthcoming book: Everyday Extraordinary Barry’s website Keywords: Barry Markovsky, sociology, paranormal, critical thinking, education, pseudoscience, science, identity, belief Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I chat with educator, political scientist, and author Tim Redmond to discuss his path from a PhD in political science to a high school teacher building a standout course on critical thinking. Tim shares how discovering psychology after academia reshaped his approach, why identity sits at the center of our information habits, and how blending psychological literacy, media literacy, and scientific literacy helps teens (and the rest of us) think better. When talking to Tim, I actually summarized his work into those three pillars of literacy as they map onto my own work as well. Maybe I’ll teach my own course focusing on those pillars! Tim’s book: Political Tribalism in America: How Hyper-Partisanship Dumbs Down Democracy and How to Fix It Read about Tim’s high school class on media literacy and critical thinking here Keywords: Timothy Redmond, high school education, misinformation, critical thinking, media literacy, political science, identity. Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

Physicist and author of The Irrational Ape , David Robert Grimes, joins me to explore why facts alone rarely change minds. Drawing on his background in medical physics, statistics, cancer research, and public health—as well as his work in science communication—David explains how conspiracies spread, why the “information deficit” model falls short, and what effective media literacy actually looks like. The conversation also dives into the deeper social and structural forces that shape our health, why changing your mind should be celebrated rather than stigmatized, and how to rebuild trust in institutions without simply demanding it. Along the way, David and I reflect on the challenges of science communication in the digital age and the urgent need for critical thinking to protect our information ecosystem. If you’re interested in critical thinking, public health, and navigating misinformation in the age of AI, this episode is for you. Read about David’s work on his website Follow David on Instagram Read David’s Book: The Irrational Ape Keywords: David Robert Grimes, misinformation, conspiracy theories, critical thinking, media literacy, public health communication, trust in institutions Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video with Elisabeth Marnik, PhD ! We discussed my new book Misguided , the social science of misinformation, and how we can promote critical thinking and better media literacy. We also discussed the psychology and sociology behind false beliefs, the importance of trust and identity, and what actually works when combating misinformation and promoting science communication. Thanks to everyone who tuned in — more live chats to come! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Esha Lovrić—social scientist, educator, and advocate for critical thinking—about how life transitions and emotional vulnerability shape the way we interpret the world around us. Esha shares her personal journey as a Fijian Indian immigrant navigating Western culture, and how those early experiences led her to sociology—and eventually to teaching critical thinking as a tool for self-understanding. We explore the concept of liminal spaces —those uncertain, in-between phases of life—and how they can leave us more open to misinformation, conspiracy thinking, and ideological pull, especially in today’s hyper-connected digital landscape. Esha’s insights reinforce a theme I return to often: confronting misinformation isn’t just about having the right facts—it’s about understanding the emotional, social, and psychological conditions in which beliefs form. Our emotional and relational needs shape how we process information in the first place—and understanding that is a crucial component of critical thinking. Read about Esha’s work on her website and subscribe to her newsletter Follow Esha on Threads Keywords: Critical Thinking, Misinformation, Liminality, Social Psychology, Identity and BeliefVulnerability, Sociology, Culture, Cognitive Bias, Social Media and Trust Misguided: The Podcast - Apple Podcasts Misguided: The Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Misguided - YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk with Melanie Trecek-King — biology professor, science communicator, and creator of Thinking Is Power . I’ve been a fan of her content for years, and it was great to finally chat with her on my podcast. We discuss her journey from teaching biology and ecology to developing a critical thinking course that teaches skills, not just facts. Melanie shares how her frustration with traditional science education inspired her to focus on critical thinking education, skepticism, and understanding our own biases. We also talk about the challenges of engaging with misinformation online (and social media), building trust in science, and how to teach critical thinking without triggering defensiveness — all with a healthy dose of humor. Keywords critical thinking, science communication, misinformation, skepticism, media literacy, cognitive biases, trust in science, education, social media, identity and belief, Thinking Is Power Thinking is Power website Thinking is Power on Facebook Thinking is Power on Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided , I’m joined by Dr. Kevin Meuwissen, professor of education at the University of Rochester, to explore one of the most urgent questions in education today: how do we prepare young people to navigate a world overflowing with disinformation, political polarization, and fractured trust? We discuss Kevin’s journey from high school teacher to researcher, and how those experiences shaped his work training educators to tackle tough topics like conspiracy theories, fake news, and historical distortion in the classroom. He shares how his professional learning cadre helps teachers engage students in meaningful conversations about truth, credibility, and civic responsibility, all while contending with social, political, and institutional pressures. Keywords media literacy, misinformation, disinformation, political polarization, civic education, critical thinking, information literacy, social studies, public trust, high school education, communication, Kevin Meuwissen Kevin Meuwissen’s University of Rochester website ‪Kevin Meuwissen‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬ Kevin Meuwissen on Bluesky This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Dr. Claire Wardle, a professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University and one of the world’s leading experts on misinformation, media literacy, and public trust in science. Over the past two decades, she’s trained journalists around the globe, worked with organizations like the UN and the BBC, and co-founded both the nonprofit First Draft and the Information Futures Lab at Brown University. In this conversation, we dive into the challenges of defining and labeling misinformation, the importance of clear communication during times of uncertainty, and the emotional and social reasons people share content online. We also explore what it would look like if institutions—and academics—communicated in more human, engaging ways. I’ve cited Dr. Wardle’s work many times, so it was great to speak with her directly. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Keywords media literacy, misinformation, public trust, communication, social media, information sharing, community engagement, science communication, AI Claire Wardle’s Cornell Website Claire Wardle on Bluesky First Draft Information Futures Lab at Brown University This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided , Matthew Facciani speaks with historian and Analog Social founder Shae Omonijo about making history accessible, the importance of community, and how digital culture is reshaping human connection. Shae shares what inspired her to pursue a PhD in history, her efforts to bring historical knowledge to the public, and the origins of Analog Social, a project focused on reclaiming real-world interactions in a digital age. They also discuss how history is shaped, erased, and distorted—and how those lessons can help us combat misinformation today. Shae’s Harvard Website Shae’s Personal Website Shae the Historian Substack Analog Social keywords history, public history, misinformation, community, social connection, digital life, humanities, Analog Social, critical thinking, historical narratives 00:13 – Introduction 01:13 – What Inspired Shae to Study History? 03:26 – Making History Public & The Power of Representation 06:20 – Shae’s “100 Historic Black Women” Series 09:22 – How History Gets Distorted & Misinformation in Historical Narratives 13:16 – The Rise of Analog Social & Reclaiming Human Connection 18:30 – The Future of Analog Social 20:18 – Social Isolation & Misinformation: Are They Connected? 23:37 – Why We Hold on to False Beliefs 25:19 – Final Thoughts: The Future of History & Social Connection This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Misguided , Dr. Joel Breakstone, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Digital Inquiry Group, joins me to discuss how we can better equip students to evaluate online information in an era of misinformation and AI-driven content. We explore the challenges of digital literacy, why some traditional fact-checking methods fall short, and evidence-based strategies—such as lateral reading—that actually help students distinguish credible sources from misinformation. Dr. Breakstone also shares insights from his research on how fact-checkers, students, and academics approach online sources differently, and what educators can do to integrate digital literacy into existing curricula. If you're interested in how we can teach people to think critically—rather than just telling them what to think—this episode is for you. Digital Inquiry Group Dr. Breakstone’s Google Scholar Keywords: digital literacy, media literacy, misinformation, fact-checking, lateral reading, critical thinking, online information, disinformation, civic online reasoning, education, Joel Breakstone, Stanford History Education Group, Digital Inquiry Group This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewfacciani.substack.com/subscribe