Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

When AI Starts Shaping What We Believe We often blame social media algorithms for toxic polarization — for the outrage, the misinformation, the “us versus them” dynamic pulling society apart. But what if the real...

Most Americans are tired of the outrage — and hungry for something better. So how do we unite America when everything feels so divided? In this episode, we talk with Adam Mizel, co-founder and CEO of US United, a...

Why We Disagree About What Matters We often assume political polarization is about beliefs or party loyalty—but what if it’s about which issues we think are worth caring about? In this episode, behavioral scientists...

Digital Overwhelm: Talking Across Generations In a world that never stops pinging, how do we stay human—and stay connected across generations? Host David Beckemeyer talks with communication scholar Craig Mattson, author...

Why People Stop Trusting Science Why do so many people reject science—even when the facts are clear? We are joined by Hillary Shulman, a communication scholar at Ohio State University, to learn about science populism...

When the Center Becomes the Rebel Once, being radical meant picking a side—Rush Limbaugh on the right, Keith Olbermann on the left. But today, that kind of partisanship isn’t radical anymore—it’s predictable. In this...

We take a closer look at the online world known as the manosphere —a loose network of communities including incels, Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), men’s rights activists (MRAs), and pick-up artists (PUAs). These...

Why Talking Isn’t Enough to Bridge Divides What happens when people in deeply divided communities set aside differences to work on real problems together? In this episode, we hear from participants in Southern Oregon...

What If Inclusion, Not Normalization, Was the Goal? Too often, conversations about autism happen without autistic voices at the table. In this episode, we talk with Ari Ne’eman, Assistant Professor at Harvard and...

Why Owning Your Online Identity Matters More Than Ever Is it possible to fix social media? In this episode, I’m joined by Yevgeny Simkin, Co-Founder of Sez.us, a new social media platform built to encourage civility and...

Gen Z’s political gender gap is widening. Young women are trending left, while young men drift right—and it’s not just politics. In this episode, we explore the cultural, social, and economic pressures shaping young...

The Shift from Certainty to Nuance We’ve all heard the saying: facts don’t change minds. But new research challenges that idea. In this episode, David talks with social scientist Nick Stagnaro about what happens when...

The Hidden Power of Social Norms Social media often gets blamed for fueling outrage and deepening political divides. But what if the very tools that spread division could be used to bridge it? In this episode, we talk...

What Happens When Students Talk Across Generations? We sit down with with Dr. June Klees, a historian and educator at Bay College, about the Waging Dialogue initiative — a unique civics program designed to help students...

The Connection Opportunity Report: Hope, Barriers, and the Path Forward How can we truly connect across political, racial, religious, and class divides? In this episode of Outrage Overload, host David Beckemeyer dives...

Is democracy failing because citizens aren’t truly thinking through the issues? In this episode, we hear from Prof. James Fishkin, Stanford scholar and creator of Deliberative Polling, a groundbreaking method used...

War, political chaos, economic fears, AI disruption—the world feels like it’s on fire. And the media? It never stops pouring fuel on the flames. In this final chapter of the Outrage on the Mic series, we explore how...

In Part 2 of our special series Outrage on the Mic, we go back in time to explore how public outrage has shaped societies long before the digital age. David Beckemeyer is joined by Outrageous History! host Ernest...

Outrage Overload x Outrage Factory This week, we kick off our special July series, Outrage on the Mic, with a fun and irreverent crossover featuring the hosts of Outrage Factory —Dale Deruiter and Geoff Gauthier. We...

Why is it so hard to have civil conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? And can we break through the outrage culture, media tribalism, and polarization that dominate today’s discourse? In this episode, we...

Exploring Democratic Erosion and the Rise of Authoritarian Tactics Is the U.S. Sliding Toward Competitive Authoritarianism? Political scientist Lucan Way joins us to discuss signs of democratic erosion, competitive...

Why are we so divided — and what can we really do about it? In this episode, Rich Harwood, founder of The Harwood Institute and author of The New Civic Path, returns to the show to share how communities across America...

How Wellness Content Fuels Conspiracies What starts as a search for natural living or homegrown veggies can slowly become something else entirely. In this episode, we follow the personal story of Kavisha Pillay, a...

How a Doctor’s Long COVID Journey Exposed Systemic Failures Millions are still living with long COVID, yet many patients are dismissed, misunderstood, or left without answers. In this episode, Dr. Zeest Khan shares her...

How AmeriCorps Cuts Threaten Our Civic Future Tens of thousands of AmeriCorps service positions are being eliminated. In this episode, we explore how cuts to national service programs are affecting communities, civic...