Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

79. When We Stop Sharing the Same Reality – Stephen Maher

Veteran journalist Stephen Maher joins us to explore how the collapse of local news, the rise of algorithm-driven platforms, and shifting newsroom cultures are reshaping democracy. Drawing on decades covering Canadian politics, Maher explains why communities lose more than information when local papers disappear—and how this dynamic parallels what’s happening in the United States.We dig into polarization, media trust, the “algorithmic public square,” and what might help rebuild a shared civic reality.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

BONUS - A Clear-Eyed Look Back at the Pandemic Divide

COVID may be behind us, but many of the frustrations, myths, and political divides it created are still quietly shaping our social and civic landscape. This bonus episode revisits a conversation originally recorded for Outrage Science Bites—now brought to the main feed because its insights remain deeply relevant.We take a calm, evidence-based look at what actually happened during the U.S. pandemic response, drawing on findings from The Lessons from the COVID War, one of the most comprehensive investigations into COVID policy and outcomes.This episode isn’t about relitigating COVID. It’s about lowering the temperature, softening hardened narratives, and bringing clarity to a moment shaped by outrage and confusion.About this replay: Originally produced for Outrage Science Bites during the NaPodPoMo challenge. Repurposed here because the themes remain essential to understanding polarization today.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

BONUS - The Congresspeople You’ve Never Heard Of Might Save Democracy – Brad Porteus

While outrage and division dominate the headlines, quiet collaborators in Congress are actually getting things done — you just never hear about them.In this episode, David Beckemeyer talks with Brad Porteus, founder of Bridge Grades, a data-driven “report card for Congress” that measures who’s building bridges — and who’s tearing them down.Together, they explore how citizens can shift the incentives in Washington by rewarding collaboration over confrontation.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

78. When AI Becomes the Most Persuasive Voice in the Room – Petter Törnberg

When AI Starts Shaping What We BelieveWe 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 problem goes deeper than the algorithm?In this episode, University of Amsterdam researcher Petter Törnberg explains why social media is broken by design — and why simply “fixing the feed” won’t solve outrage or polarization.And now, a new technology is arriving that could reshape politics and public opinion even more profoundly than the platforms that came before:AI systems that can influence our beliefs without us noticing.This conversation will change the way you think about the future of media, power, and what autonomy means in a world where technology shapes how we see reality.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

BONUS - The America You Don’t See on the News – Adam Mizel

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 movement focused on ending toxic polarization through everyday actions anyone can take. After traveling the country in a purple pickup truck, Adam found that people from all backgrounds want the same things: respect, listening, and real connection.We explore political depolarization solutions, the media outrage problem, and simple ways to build unity in communities — starting within five miles of where you live. If you’ve ever wondered how to heal a divided America without giving up your values, this episode offers stories, strategies, and hope.We also talk about National Unity Day USA — now officially recognized on the National Day Calendar — and how each of us can join a growing movement for positive change.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites. Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.