Ep 08 Battling Misinformation and AI Slop with Sree Sreenivasan

EP 10 The Lost Art of Persuasion with Mary Kate Cary

In this episode, Hanna, Sage, and Julius sit down with Mary Kate Cary, former speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush and, until recently, Assistant Vice President, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the University of Virginia, and director of Think Again at UVA— a student-facing initiative built around freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, intellectual humility, and critical thinking. She's now heading to the University of Denver to lead the new National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism. Mary Kate takes us behind the scenes of presidential speechwriting — from drafting the State of the Union to the time a jet-lagged President Bush threw up on the Japanese prime minister — and breaks down Monroe's Motivated Sequence, the century-old formula behind history's most persuasive speeches. She also walks us through Think Again's programming, including Disagree With a Professor, Low Stakes Hot Takes, a student-written free speech toolkit, the free online course Speaking of America, and the "low-tech zones" getting students to ditch their headphones and talk to each other in the dining hall again. Key Takeaways from Mary Kate: 1. Take off the headphones, put down the cell phone, look people in the eye. Make new connections and engage with people around you. 2. Persuasion is important no matter what you do in life. Especially in the age of AI, learning to listen with empathy and speak generously is a critical skill regardless of your career. 3. One person speaking up can truly change the course of history. There are countless examples throughout American history of individuals who shaped democracy through the power of speech, and that potential still exists today. Find out more about Mary Kate on: * Mary Kate’s website [https://marykatecary.com/] * Her X [https://x.com/mkcary]and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kate-cary/] * Think Again at UVA [https://www.thinkagainuva.com/] * Speaking of America [https://engagement.virginia.edu/learn/2026-america] * National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism at Denver [https://www.du.edu/about/freedom-of-expression] Some of the texts, and resources we refer to in this episode: * Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Mary Kate’s Media Diet Meat and potatoes:  Outlets:  Ground News (Blind Spot) [https://ground.news/blindspot], RealClearPolitics [https://www.realclearpolitics.com/] Junk Food: X Palate cleanser:  Babylon Bee [https://babylonbee.com/], Uncommon Knowledge [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKruweaZqDNd413F3oSIAi_Pa8e6RB2Vc],and  Heterodox Out Loud [https://heterodoxacademy.org/podcasts/] Off-screen (no phones/headphones): Golf and fly fishing This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality. We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to captivatedpod@gmail.com [captivatedpod@gmail.com]

EP 09 Selective Exposure and Motivated Reasoning with Josh Pasek

In this episode, Julius, Sage, and Hanna talk to University of Michigan professor of Communication and Media and Political Science Josh Pasek about how people process political information in today’s digital public sphere. The conversation breaks down selective exposure and motivated reasoning, why we seek confirming news, reject dissonant facts, and rely on mental shortcuts shaped by our social circles, prior beliefs, and media algorithms. Josh explains how fragmented online information environments and viral extreme content fuel polarization, erode trust, and make democratic deliberation and compromise harder, even when most people aren’t acting maliciously. The episode also explores the need for civic effort, better context in news coverage, and potential system-level fixes—from platform incentives to public media—plus practical habits for intentional media consumption, including adding “friction” to screens and curating a healthier media diet. Key Takeaways from Josh: 1. Democratic citizenship is not supposed to be easy. Being a citizen in a democracy requires a significant amount of individual effort and hard work to stay informed. Care about the polity as a whole, and look beyond your own narrow group interest. 2. Writing off those who disagree with you as "bad actors" is highly dangerous. Falling into the trap of assuming anyone with an opposing viewpoint is malicious is damaging. It fragments communities and undermines society as a whole. 3. No one else is going to do the work for you. You cannot wait for media platforms or a system-level fix to solve the current information crisis. Individuals have to take personal responsibility, practice intentionality, and put in the legwork to better engage with the information in front of them. Find out more about Josh on: * Josh’s website [https://www.joshpasek.com/] * His LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshpasek/], and Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:pchvvbkhzfrusxpasqpshd2q] Josh’s Media Diet Meat and potatoes:  Outlets: The New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com], The Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com], The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com], Wired [https://www.wired.com], ProPublica [https://www.propublica.org], The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com], Bluesky [https://bsky.app]  Junk Food: Josh is a news junkie, the news is his junk food. Palate cleanser:  * Improv classes and curating quality content for his kids: Monty Python, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality. We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to captivatedpod@gmail.com [captivatedpod@gmail.com]

Ep 08 Battling Misinformation and AI Slop with Sree Sreenivasan

In this episode Julius, Sage, and Hanna talk to tech journalist, former Chief Digital Officer of New York City, Columbia University, and the Met, and founder of Digimentors, Sree Sreenivasan to discuss misinformation. The conversation traces the problem from email scams and WhatsApp forwards all the way to AI-generated "slop," it's global ramifications, and examines why Silicon Valley's tech moguls are to blame. Yet Sree remains a techno-optimist. He makes the case that improving your media literacy is now a fundamental civic duty.  Key Takeaways from Sree: 1. Own your role. Every time you doom scroll or share without thinking, you are part of the problem. Every time you put the phone down, read a local newspaper, or correct a bad forward in a group chat, you are making a difference. 2. Stay literate about new technology. The speed of change is only accelerating. Experiment with new tools, test AI by asking it about things you know well, and stay curious about what's coming next. 3. Participate. A handful of Silicon Valley oligarchs are betting that your vote doesn't matter — prove them wrong. The damage being done right now flows from an election margin of 1.5%. Your vote, your voice, and your willingness to make "good trouble" matter more than you think. Find out more about Sree on: * Sree’s Substack [https://substack.com/@sreenet] (sreenet.substack.com [https://sreenet.substack.com]) * His X [https://x.com/sree?lang=en], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/sreenet],LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreenivasan], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sreenet/] * His digital media consultancy, DigiMentors [https://www.digimentors.group/] * New York Times Read Along [https://www.youtube.com/@captivatedpodcast] — his show reading the print paper aloud on social media Some of the texts, and resources we refer to in this episode: * The 2009 NYT article How the Media Wrestle with the Web [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/technology/internet/13link.html] * Wonder Tools [https://wondertools.substack.com/] by Jeremy Caplan — breaking down AI and tech for non-experts * Journalist's Toolbox [https://www.journaliststoolbox.org/] by Mike Riley — useful for anyone who wants to be a more informed news consumer * Liza Donnelly [https://lizadonnelly.substack.com/] — New Yorker cartoonist and Substack writer on media and culture Sree’s Media Diet Meat and potatoes:  Outlets: X [https://x.com], Fox News [https://www.foxnews.com], The Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com] Junk Food: YouTube shorts This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality. We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to captivatedpod@gmail.com [captivatedpod@gmail.com]

EP 07 Digital Blackface and AI with Ryan Ken

In this episode Julius, Sage, and Hanna sit down with Emmy-winning writer, actor, and comedian Ryan Ken to discuss “digital Blackface,” the use of online Black images, expressions, and likenesses for non-Black self-expression or profit. The conversation dives deep into the complex history of Blackface, from its roots in 19th-century minstrelsy to its insidious modern evolution into reaction memes and a dangerous new era of AI deepfakes. Ryan explores how new technologies are being used to "supercharge" centuries-old racist tropes, the political utility of "rage bait" AI, and how power operates through comedy. Ryan also points out the broader philosophical risk of losing human connection in art to artificial intelligence and highlights that critical thinking means having the humility to admit you can be wrong. Want to hear more from Ryan? Join them and CAPT for the first annual Summit on Information, Technology, and American Democracy [https://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/history/research/center-for-american-political-history-media-and-technology/summit/index.html] in Indianapolis on April 30th. Register here [https://web.cvent.com/event/1138664c-9b18-418a-add1-616e9d5ce296/register?_ga=2.213154012.915755710.1776692041-2121015346.1770742605]. Key Takeaways from Ryan: 1. Be suspicious of video. 2. Don't believe you're too smart to be tricked.  3. Seek out real, human creativity.  Find out more about Ryan on: TikTok (@ryan_ken_acts [https://www.tiktok.com/@ryan_ken_acts])  Instagram (@ryan_ken_acts [https://www.instagram.com/ryan_ken_acts]) Bluesky (@ryankenacts.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ryankenacts.bsky.social])  X (@Ryan_Ken_Acts [https://x.com/Ryan_Ken_Acts]) Some of the texts we refer to in this episode: * Joshua Lumpkin Green’s 2006 article coining the term Blackface: Digital Blackface: The Repackaging of the Black Masculine Image  [https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=miami1154371043] * Birth of an Industry: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Rise of American Animation [https://www.dukeupress.edu/birth-of-an-industry] by Nicholas Sammond * Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism [https://nyupress.org/9781479837243/algorithms-of-oppression/] by Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble  * The Code Switch Podcast’s episode The Evolution of Blackface in the Age of AI [https://www.npr.org/2025/12/13/nx-s1-5611061/the-evolution-of-blackface-in-the-age-of-ai] * Jeremy Carrasco’s page devoted to tips for spotting AI @jeremyfindsai [https://www.instagram.com/jeremyfindsai/] * YK Hong’s page on tech justice and liberatory strategy @ykreborn [https://www.instagram.com/ykreborn/] * Timnit Gebru [https://www.dair-institute.org/team/timnit-gebru/]’s work on AI and ethics Ryan’s Media Diet Meat and potatoes : Outlets: BlueSky [https://bsky.app/], Democracy Now! [https://www.democracynow.org/], Al Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/], NPR [https://www.npr.org/], PBS [https://www.pbs.org/] Individuals:  Karen Attiah [https://bsky.app/profile/karenattiah.bsky.social] – journalist Erin in the Morning [https://www.erininthemorning.com/] – trans rights reporting Vinny Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/vinnnythomas/] Caitlin Reilly [https://www.instagram.com/itscaitlinreilly/] Jay Jurdin [https://jayjurden.com/] https://www.instagram.com This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality. [https://www.instagram.com] We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to [https://www.instagram.com]captivatedpod@gmail.com [captivatedpod@gmail.com]

EP 06 The Democrats and Big Tech with Lily Geismer

In this episode, Sage, Julius, and Hanna hear from political historian Lily Geismer about the Democratic Party’s decades-long relationship to the tech industry. From the Atari Democrats of the 1970s to Al Gore's dinner-party pipeline with Silicon Valley executives, Lily explains how market-based thinking gradually replaced the social safety net as the party's organizing logic. Lily digs into what that ideological shift produced: derulation that allowed companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta to consolidate into the monopolies we know today. Lily breaks down what that consolidation actually costs the average American — in jobs, in prices, and in access to information — and why the promise that deregulation would help consumers largely never materialized. Her solutions include the enduring case for government regulation and supporting public media. Key Takeaways from Lily: 1. Big Tech monopolies were built, not born. 2. Doing well and doing good are not the same thing.  3. Democracy needs a public sector, in media not just in politics.  Find out more about: * Dr. Lily Geismer  [https://www.cmc.edu/academic/faculty/profile/lily-geismer] * Her X @LGeismer [https://x.com/LGeismer] and Bluesky @lilygeismer.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tke7if2g6rm7rggxfscqkkvm]  * Her books Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality [https://www.google.com.ph/books/edition/Left_Behind/znE0EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0] and Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party [https://www.google.com.ph/books/edition/Don_t_Blame_Us/4jFRDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0] * The essay collections she’s co-edited: Shaped by the State: Toward a New Political History of the Twentieth Century [https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Shaped_by_the_State.html?id=W1qEDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y] and Mastery and Drift: Professional-Class Liberals Since the 1960s [https://www.google.com.ph/books/edition/Mastery_and_Drift/6q8jEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0] * Lily’s episodes of The Dig podcast Race and Class in the Liberal Suburbs [https://thedigradio.com/podcast/race-and-class-in-the-liberal-suburbs-with-lily-geismer/] and The New Democrats [https://thedigradio.com/podcast/the-new-democrats-w-lily-geismer/] * Lily’s writing for Jacobin [https://jacobin.com/author/lily-geismer] and the Boston Review [https://www.bostonreview.net/authors/lily-geismer/] Lily’s Media Diet: * Meat & potatoes: NYT [https://www.nytimes.com/], The New Yorker [https://www.newyorker.com/], The Washington Post, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/] LA Times [https://www.latimes.com/], NPR [https://www.npr.org/], Eastsider LA [https://www.theeastsiderla.com/], The Daily [https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily] , The Ezra Klein Show [https://www.nytimes.com/column/ezra-klein-podcast] , The Dig [https://thedigradio.com/] * Palate Cleanser:  Borgen [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1526318/], The West Wing [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/], Heated Rivalry [https://www.hbomax.com/shows/heated-rivalry/50cd4e99-04ee-427b-a3b4-da721ed05d9c] (check the full transcript for more) This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality. We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to captivatedpod@gmail.com [captivatedpod@gmail.com]