I Can't Believe it's Not News: A Podcast about Fake News

It's our final episode, and the gang is all here. Beth, Elizabeth and Kelly join up for one last time to talk about all they've learned in the three plus years since I Can't Believe it's Not News began.  Join us as we talk about our journey and how you can keep fighting fake news. 

We're back with our final episode of our series on the Family Tree of Fake News. This week we take a look at the fathers of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. Both men have done extensive damage to media credibility and divided Americans into two sides. Join us as we discuss these two perpetrators of misinformation. 

This week, in our 'Fake New Family Tree' series we are focusing in on two white hot fake news overachievers - Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Both contribute to the spread of misinformation from the most watched fake news platform, Fox News.  The High Priest and Priestess of Hate make quite the iconic duo as they spin and weave a narrative of lies on a nightly basis to their misled fans.

This week we explore the broken branches of this fake news family tree- our current president and his Igor...I mean his VP. Trump and Pence may have literally nothing in common, but boy, are they willing to do anything to hang on to their current power. Lying is apparently perfectly fine, as long as you have God in your corner! 

We're back! Beth and Kelly are off and running this week on part two of the new series on the greatest fake news makers of our time. This week we turn the dial over to the radio - where we look at Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin. They're fightin' mad, as long as they don't actually have to leave the studio! 

This episode Kelly and Beth take on a new series, where we look at fake news makers as opposed to the fake news itself. We think it's important to know who runs the behind the scenes for the fake news industry we see today. We begin by looking at some of the keystone components of fake news media - the John Birch Society and the Koch Brothers.

And we're back! This week Kelly and Beth talk about fake memories and how they play a role in fake news and possibly the future of politics. Much of our discussion is related to a study entitled False Memories for Fake News During Ireland’s Abortion Referendum published in the journal Psychological Science in August 2019. This study indicates that during a campaign people are most likely to believe fake news and/or form false memories if that story lines up with previously held beliefs of the participant.

This week Beth and Kelly continue to explore the theme of when fake news happens to you... and we talk with Teri Yuan, from the En(gender)ed podcast about a syndrome called PAS or "Parental Alienation Syndrome". Trigger warning/Content Warning:  This episode contains discussion of domestic violence, and violence against children.  Please be aware before listening or reading further.  Thank you.

Hey listeners, this episode we are taking a brief moment to talk about something that happened to us after we posted the last episode. We received a bunch of comments on Facebook from people who definitely had not listened to our show, yet felt they had to reach out to tell us how horribly wrong we are. We've gotten a few of these comments before, but nothing like the 70+ comments we received this past time. Because of this, we decided to use this moment to address what happened. 

We're back! This week we're providing a fitting send off to one of our favorite lying liars by talking about - you guessed it! - the lies she's told us. Farewell Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and may the odds be ever in our favor...

This week Beth and Kelly have guests! Dave and Erin Ninehouser from Hear Yourself Think join us to discuss how they started and how to bring reason back to the table. Beth originally heard about this great organization during our prep for our last episode, where we reviewed the documentary "The Brainwashing of my Dad" and Dave and Erin graciously agreed to join us. 

This week Beth and Kelly take a moment to appreciate Amazon Prime. Specifically the movie The Brainwashing of my Dad on Amazon Prime. Filmmaker Jen Senko explores the radical change of her once Democratic father to an angry right-wing fanatic after his immersion in talk radio and Fox News. She discovers this to be a powerful phenomenon that has divided families across the nation. Take a listen as we fact check, discuss and reveal our own stories of right wing media taking control of our own family members. 

Welcome back! This week Beth and Kelly look at a topic that is pretty controversial - the Anti-Vaccine movement. Let's discuss why this misinformation campaign is so dangerous to the public's health, whether vaccines should be mandatory and just how dangerous some of these diseases are. Are you ready to give this a shot? 

This week Beth and Kelly are back to talk about troll farms. Not just any troll farms either - we got you the best, most prolific Russian troll farm in the world - the Internet Research Agency - aka the IRA. Not like that other one. Or the other other one. This is the Russian one that was placed under sanction by the US government for their role in interfering with the US elections in 2016. Sound fun? Let's dive in! 

In this week's episode, Beth and Kelly look into the popularity of the death hoax in its many, many forms. What is that, you say? Well, we'll tell you! A death hoax is a deliberate or confused report of someone's death that turns out to be incorrect and murder rumors. Join us as we take a look at fake death rumors, faked deaths and even faker fake deaths! 

Happy April Fools Day! Beth and Kelly are back with a new episode about the stories that fooled them, and the story that fooled us all: Theranos and the magic blood test. Take a listen as they discuss #FakeMelania (Kelly is maybe still a believer) and the urban legend about flashing your lights to strangers.  Finally, Kelly and Beth take on the whirlwind case of Elizabeth Holmes and her Edison machine. Was she a genius or just another grifter ready to take a fool's money? Let's get into it!

And, we're back!  Beth and Kelly return after a much needed break for a new episode about the dark web of youtube; yes, they are talking deepfakes this week.  So, what are deepfakes? Let's get into it. Deepfakes are AI generated video that pretty perfectly simulate the facial movements/features of any person and superimpose them into a video (usually porn, because the internet is 75% porn anyway). It is a BIG. DEAL.

In the final episode of 2018, Beth and Kelly try to leave it on the lighter side by discussing some of the funnier fake news items of 2018.  Why do so many fake news stories revolve around guys doing stupid stuff? ​You'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll get some great jams!

This week Beth and Kelly talk about the fake news in the run-up to the November 6th election, and a tiny bit of post election fakery. Did Mueller sexually assault a woman in the past?  Is the caravan full of criminals and people from the Middle East, as Trump claims?  Are we saying goodbye to the 14th Amendment? Did democrats just elect a bunch of racist, anti-semites? Join us and find out! 

This week Beth and Kelly check in with Vanessa Otero, the creator of Media Bias Chart. The chart is now of version 4.0 and is working it's way to becoming an interactive web version along with an actual data company that will provide analysis of media sources over time.  Kelly and Beth also discuss the recent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and why the story is important, despite Breitbart's claims. 

In this episode Beth and Kelly finish up their election series with a focus on a true threat to our democracy - gerrymandering.  To give some context, gerrymandering, is the drawing of the boundaries of electoral districts in a way that gives one party an unfair advantage over its rivals.  This practice is one of the most serious ways politicians can rob you of your vote. 

In this week’s episode Beth and Kelly decided to delve a little deeper into the subject of sexual assault. Trigger warning for possible discussions of rape and assault.  If you need to skip this episode we entirely understand and ask you to do something to take care of yourself at this time. If you want to speak with someone, please contact RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at 1-800-656-4673.

In this week's episode Beth and Kelly discuss the questions surrounding voter fraud. Is voter fraud really an issue we need to worry about? Why does the GOP constantly remind us to be afraid of it? Why is DJT so invested in the idea, without a single shred of evidence? What could we do, as citizens, to help prevent voter fraud? 

In this week's episode, Beth and Kelly discuss the history of deception in campaign advertising. Political ads are filled with misleading claims, and we wanted to find out why that's not against FCC regulations the way false claims in consumer ads are. Political advertising is meant to persuade the viewer to change their mind or reassure their beliefs in 30 seconds or less. Advertising works by multiple mechanisms, some of which are about conscious decision making, and some which are not. You can be influenced, even subtly, without really realizing it. 

In this episode Beth and Elizabeth - who is filling in for Kelly on vacation - talk about something *good* in the land of fake news.   Wait.  What?  Yes - it's true, something good happened, a bridge was crossed... we think.  In August 2018 Apple, Facebook, Google and Spotify among others all announced that they would be removing all or most of content created by Alex Jones and his website, Infowars. So are all these sites finally coming around to spread jam, not lies? Take a listen and find out!

This week Beth and Kelly celebrate the one year anniversary of the non-repeal of Obamacare (aka, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). There have been many years worth of fake news surrounding the ACA, but it's lack of clarity around certain aspects of Obamacare that continue to put the plan in jeopardy. 

In this episode Beth and Kelly interview Alex Kaplan from Media Matters for America. Mr. Kaplan is a research coordinator with a focus on far-right media and fake news. Media Matters for America is a Web-based non-profit founded in 2004. They are a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

This week Beth and Kelly discuss the current controversy surrounding the June 28th resignation letter from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.  Was his hand forced? Did his son lend Trump billions? Were the Russians involved? Do liberals need tin foil hats? We talk about all this and more! 

This week Beth and Kelly talk about how fake news is affecting kids. The truth is, kids today have less trust for news sources than ever before. What can parents and schools do to help kids figure out who to trust in this topsy-turvy fake news world? Join us as we talk kids, fake news and stick around for some jams.

In this episode Bath and Kelly unravel the twisted stories of the missing immigrant minors and the children being separated from their parents at the border.  The recent outrage is certainly clear, but it is not clear exactly what happened when, and who ordered it to happen.  Join us as we take a closer look at the stories and unravel the ball of yarn.

This week Beth and Kelly look into the issue of legislating fake news - is it a good idea?  Most journalists say no - and so do we. Free speech is a pillar of democracy, and even if someone says something fake - or stupid - we don't believe the government should be making laws against it. This obviously does not include incitement of violence, which is not protected under free speech in America.

To Facebook, or not to Facebook - that is the question.  This week Beth and Kelly take a look at the recent stories surrounding the world's largest social media platform and try to decipher the real from the fake. 

This week marks one year since I Can't Believe it's Not News began, and boy, oh boy, did we have a wild year! Join us as we have a brief discussion about past episodes, lessons we learned and tip our murderino hats to My Favorite Murder by discussing our favorite conspiracy theories. We joined by none other than Elizabeth, who returned to talk fake news, conspiracy theories and best new TV shows.

​In this episode Beth and Kelly interview Will Sommer, campaign editor for The Hill and creator of the newsletter Right Richter.  Right Richter (@rightrichter) is a weekly report on conservative news. He reads it all, so we don't have to.

In this episode Beth and Kelly dive into SCIENCE! A few weeks ago an article about Astronaut Scott Kelly went viral that inspired us to look further into how fake science is put out as real news. In this case, it was merely a sensational headline that needed further examination to get to the truth, but many times science is used to generate clicks - whether they are based on fear (Scientists Confirm Chocolate Definitely Causes Cancer) or comfort (Scientists Confirm Chocolate Definitely Prevents Cancer). 

In this episode, Beth and Kelly discuss satire and whether it should be considered fake news. Surprise - it's not! However, you can't just call fake news satire and get away with it either. There's a fine, cringeworthy line you just cannot cross. Good satire can be anything from The Onion to The Daily Show - but bad satire abounds these days, so let's dive right in!

And, we're back! In the second part of our very long talk about guns, Kelly and Beth discuss Kelly's List o' Gun Myths that perpetuate in every social media post after the newest shooting.  They take on good guys with guns, mental health and even talk about the NRA's first female president and fellow Floridian, Marion Hammer! 

In part one of our two-part episode, Beth and Kelly talk about guns and the myths that surround them. February 14th, 2018 America experienced another mass shooting in a school - but this time the reaction has been different. We've watched as survivors have stepped into the role of policy changers - and we're here for all of that! Are bots creating fake stories about these kids? You bet! Are the usual suspects (The Federalist, Gateway Pundit, Hannity, etc) regurgitating misinformation instead of doing real investigative work? Do you even have to ask?  Follow along with the episode guide at https://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog/episode-22

In this episode, Beth and Kelly take a deep dive into bias news/fake news and interview Vanessa Otero of MediaBiasChart.com. Sadly, Beth had the flu and couldn't take part in the interview, but she's feeling much better now - hooray!

​​In this episode, Beth and Kelly discuss the rise of clickbait - and why so many legitimate news outlets rely on it for revenue.  Beth also discovers the nefarious underbelly of online face creams. (Hint - It's a scam!) Everyone has fallen for it at one point or another, so it's nothing to be ashamed of.    Follow along with the blog: https://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog/episode-20  

In this episode Beth and Kelly dive into a good question... are books fact checked?  And if so, by who?  And if not.... why not? Kelly also recommended a book for the episode - except it's more of the book the episode is about.  Kelly read Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff because we had some questions.  Mainly - is this book fake news? Follow along with the episode guide at: https://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog/episode-19 Spread jam, not lies.

In this episode Beth and Kelly discuss the question of how journalists should approach reporting lies in the era of fake news, and since we are talking about lies - how about the biggest liar of the year according to Factcheck.org.... our very own King of the Whopper. We also introduce a song of the episode, and Kelly has a book recommendation for you all.  So grab some whoppers, or a Whopper, and settle in - this one is a whopper of an episode. Follow along with the episode guide at: http://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog/episode-18

In this episode Beth and Kelly discuss the documentary "Trumping Democracy: Real Money, Fake News, Your Data."  In this boring, yet terrifying documentary (It's like doing your taxes!) it traces how reclusive billionaire Robert Mercer - and his gang of evil masterminds - Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, and David Bossie used Breitbart and another company controlled by Mercer - Cambridge Analytica - to find voters for Trump - and then target them with fake news by using "dark posts" on facebook. Yes, this is all real.  Yes, it does seem like a plot from Scooby Doo, just minus the "pesky kids" that save the day. Follow along with the episode guide at: http://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog/episode-17

Hey everybody!  Beth and Kelly have been working extra hard and have recorded an article review for our Patreon page!  Listen here for a sneak peak - and then head on over to https://www.patreon.com/podcastfakenews and sign up for as little as $1 a month to have access to our special patreon only content! Join us bi-weekly for new episodes!  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app!  We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Tunein, Google Play, You Tube, iHeart Radio, and Spotify!  If you are so inclined - help others find us by giving us a 5 star rating! ​ ​And don't forget - Spread jam, not lies.

Hello everyone!  I wanted to take a few minutes and introduce two new contributors to the podcast.  With Elizabeth leaving, we knew it would take a lot to fill her shoes - so I recruited two people to help fill the gap - Kelly and Clint.  Take a listen to find out more about them!  

In this episode Beth and Elizabeth tackle the gross realization that fake news follows everything.  Even sexual assault.  Follow along with the episode guide at http://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog ​Join us bi-weekly for new episodes!  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app!  We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Tunein, Google Play, You Tube, and iHeart Radio!  If you are so inclined - help others find us by giving us a 5 star rating! ​And don't forget - Spread jam, not lies.

In this episode Beth and Elizabeth review the latest revelations about the Guccifer 2.0 email hack, and how there is a bit of fake news involved.  They also review the Word of the Year from the Collins dictionary, and a Pew study about whether or not the misinformation will improve or not in the next 10 years (aka: are we f*cked?). A new segment is introduced "Round A Beth"  Take a listen to find out who likes that name, and who doesn't.   They end with some actual fun fake news - owl orgasms. ​​Join us bi-weekly for new episodes!  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app!  We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Tunein, Google Play, You Tube, and iHeart Radio!  If you are so inclined - help others find us by giving us a 5 star rating! ​And don't forget - Spread jam, not lies.

In this episode Beth and Elizabeth talk about some of the more nuanced fake news that liberals are likely to overlook.  We talk memes that speak to our confirmation bias.  Either we believe them, they make us laugh, we don't think they hurt anyone, or they are just too gross to research (we know, we can't un-see it either).   We also review the changes Google is making to help fight fake news and the consequences from it - is it censorship or something less frightening? ​​Join us bi-weekly for new episodes!  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app!  We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Tunein, Google Play, You Tube, and iHeart Radio!  If you are so inclined - help others find us by giving us a 5 star rating! ​And don't forget - Spread jam, not lies.

In this episode Beth and Elizabeth talk about the fake news that inevitably follow horrific man made events.  In the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting, the fake news, conspiracy theories, and of course - Infowars get involved.    Follow along with the links at www.podcastfakenews.com/episode-guide/episode-13  

Beth and Elizabeth go to Russia - in spirit - to discuss the Russian Facebook ad buy.  They discuss the Internet Research Agency, White Papers, Sock Puppets, and Trolls.  Lots and lots of trolls.   Follow along with the episode guide at: http://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog

Beth and Elizabeth dive into the hurricane of fake news that followed the path of Hurricane Harvey.  We review fake photos and memes, as well as fake weather forecasts and a theory about the government control of the weather.  Take a listen with us and help stop the flood of fake news! Follow along with the episode guide at: http://www.podcastfakenews.com/i-cant-believe-its-not-news-episode-guide-blog