Misguided: The Podcast

What Wellness Influencers Don't Want You to Know

A few years ago, Andrea Ellis was a rising wellness influencer. She was a certified integrative health practitioner, made six figures a year from Instagram alone, and had

Misguided: The Audio Edition — Introduction (Free Episode)

I’m launching Misguided: The Audio Edition right here on the newsletter. It’s a chapter-by-chapter audio companion to the book, with updated commentary on everything that

How Does Journalism Earn Trust?

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Patrick Johnson, a journalism scholar at Marquette University whose work focuses on news literacy, trust in j

Reality in Ruins: How Conspiracy Theory Became an American Evangelical Crisis

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Jared Stacy, a theologian and former pastor who studies how conspiracy theories take root within evangelical

The Hidden Social Forces Behind Misinformation

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Cecilie Steenbuch-Traberg, a professor at the Copenhagen Business School who studies how social context shape

Why We Believe Misinformation and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against it

Here is my live video chat with Mike Nellis as a bonus podcast episode. I really enjoyed our conversation about the social psychology of why we believe false information,

The Psychology of Virality in the Age of AI

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Steve Rathje, who is a social psychology postdoc at NYU, and a soon-to-be assistant professor at Carnegie Mel

Foolproof: How to Build Resistance to Misinformation

In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Sander van der Linden, who is a professor of social psychology at the University of Cambridge and one of the lead

Bespoke Realities, Invisible Rulers, and the Battle for Truth

In this episode of Misguided, I’m joined by Renee DiResta to talk about how she went from a winding career in tech, finance, and Silicon Valley startups to becoming one o

Thinking as Freedom: Building Mental Immunity in a Noisy World

In this episode, I talk with philosopher and author Andy Norman, founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative and author of Mental Immunity. Andy shares how

Everyday Extraordinary: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable

In this episode, I talk with sociologist and author Barry Markovsky about his path into social science and his career studying science vs. pseudoscience. Barry shares les

Helping High School Students Think Critically About Media

In this episode, I chat with educator, political scientist, and author Tim Redmond to discuss his path from a PhD in political science to a high school teacher building a

The Irrational Ape: Facts, Feelings, and the Spread of Misinformation

Physicist and author of The Irrational Ape, David Robert Grimes, joins me to explore why facts alone rarely change minds. Drawing on his background in medical physics, st

Misguided: A Lunchtime Chat About Misinformation with Matthew Facciani and Elisabeth Marnik

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video with Elisabeth Marnik, PhD! We discussed my new book Misguided, the social science of misinformation, and how we can pr

Between Worlds: Identity, Vulnerability, and the Power of Critical Thinking

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Esha Lovrić—social scientist, educator, and advocate for critical thinking—about how life transitions and emotional vulnerability

Thinking Is Power: Helping People Navigate Truth, Science, and Bias

In this episode, I talk with Melanie Trecek-King — biology professor, science communicator, and creator of Thinking Is Power. I’ve been a fan of her content for years, an

Preparing High School Students to Navigate Disinformation and Polarization

In this episode of Misguided, I’m joined by Dr. Kevin Meuwissen, professor of education at the University of Rochester, to explore one of the most urgent questions in edu

Beyond the Buzzword: Rethinking Misinformation with Claire Wardle

Today’s guest is Dr. Claire Wardle, a professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University and one of the world’s leading experts on misinformation, media l

Bridging the Past and Present: History, Truth, and Social Connection

In this episode of Misguided, Matthew Facciani speaks with historian and Analog Social founder Shae Omonijo about making history accessible, the importance of community,

How to Think Like a Fact-Checker with Joel Breakstone

In this episode of Misguided, Dr. Joel Breakstone, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Digital Inquiry Group, joins me to discuss how we can better equip students to