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How Science Can Fix the Media Landscape

2025-06-28 Science & Technology
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Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. 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. 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? NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free. 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 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Top Comments (10)

@michaelccopelandsr7120 2025-06-28

Once you fear integrity and accountability, you are no longer the good guys. Simple as that.

239 8 replies
@danki2000daniel 2025-06-29

News should not be entertainment

205 11 replies
@beefrick9957 2025-06-28

I think Ground News is an amazing tool. The biggest hurdle in my opinion is getting people to want to challenge their views. People really enjoy being in an echo chamber.

188 7 replies
@StarTalk 2025-06-28

Do you think we can fix the way we get news online or is the system too broken to repair?

123 108 replies
@Incorruptus2 2025-06-28

Thank you very much for addressing this issue. Opinion based news is simply a devastating thing to societies. And it is a world wide issue.

108 9 replies
@NickCombs 2025-06-29

One issue with modern news presentation is that there's so much of it. If you read a newspaper, there are a handful of stories each day. You can scan them all and read the articles that interest you, then you're done and you can move on with your day. Now, we never get the sense that we're done with the day's news. It's an unlimited feed on a phone that wants you to scroll 24/7. It's designed to make you feel like you're missing something important if you close it. I think that legitimately contributes to a general higher stress level that makes it harder to converse with others about the news in a constructive way.

68
@patientzerobeat 2025-06-29

Showing people that they're being "gamed" is one good strategy. In grade 11 (1977, Ottawa, Canada), I took a course called Communications. One section was all about advertising, subliminal messaging and legal trickery. For example, it's legal for a product not to contain the thing its advertising if you make it an adjective, like chocolate versus chocolaty, or cheese versus cheesy, And if you misspell a word, you can legally trick people too. Also, putting the word "food" or "drink" after a thing means you can also legally trick people. Apple Drink doesn't have to contain apple, but Apple Juice does. My examples here aren't really the point per se, but rather that as a teenager I was exposed to the idea to be skeptical and suspicious of claims; I didn't want to be "gamed".

38 3 replies
@elettner 2025-07-07

In Finland they teach students to analyse what is fake and what is not on the internet, since a very young age.

15
@oWarlock360o 2025-06-28

You cannot ever be afraid of what people feel when it concerns the truth. Especially in science.

10
@Blamethemanufacturer 2025-07-02

Dr. Tyson is arguably the best science communicator on the planet. We are so lucky to have him in our life time.

7

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