From StarTalk.
Can we fix the news? On this minisode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly sit down with Harleen Kaur, former space engineer and founder of Ground News, to explore our current media landscape, navigating bias, and fixing the internet.
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Why do different outlets report the same event in completely different ways? What role do funding, audience, and ideology play in shaping headlines? Harleen breaks down how Ground News reverse-engineers news coverage across the political spectrum.
We discuss the defunct Fairness Doctrine and how advertisers and conglomerates play a role in our current media landscape. How can readers develop the skills to avoid filter bubbles and echo chambers? Can science be weaponized in media? What happens when a grain of truth is used to validate misinformation? Could AI make things worse or could it be the tool to identify deepfakes and hidden bias?
Neil questions whether we’re headed for the end of credible online news. Could more exposure to opposing views actually shift opinions?
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Harleen Kaur
04:00 – Fixing the Broken Media Landscape
07:20 – The Fairness Doctrine
09:17 – Bias in the News
11:11 – Misinformation
15:14 – Who Funds the News
18:25 – Media Literacy Tips & The Outrage Engine
25:03 – Science in the News
28:21 – AI: Friend or Foe
31:00 – Is the Internet Broken for Good?
33:46 – A Cosmic Perspective
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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