A Matter of Facts

Season 1 · Season 2

With so many sources of information, what is reliable and true can be hard at times to determine. The Delaware Humanities’ award winning podcast, A Matter of Facts, addresses this issue by in season two examining closely popular sources of news and information.

This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Delaware Public Media.  We thank the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their generous support of this initiative and the Pulitzer Prizes for their Partnership.

Season 2

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Thomas Leitch – Wikipedia

Episode 1 · Dr. Thomas Leitch – Wikipedia
April 17, 2020
Dr. Thomas Leitch discusses the origins of, the questions of bias and authority within, and how to approach using Wikipedia.  These questions and their answers can be applied to other sources of information to help us reflect on how and why we use and rely on them.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Lindsay Hoffman – Facebook

Episode 2 · Dr. Lindsay Hoffman – Facebook
June 26, 2020
Dr. Lindsay Hoffman discusses the growth of Facebook as a source of information, how it differs from other social media platforms, and its responsibility regarding larger trends of political polarization in the U.S.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Charlie Ornstein – Local News

Episode 3 · Charlie Ornstein – Local News
July 17, 2020
Charlie Ornstein discusses the role of local journalism as a source of accountability for local governments, how local newspapers cultivate community and trust, and how these publications are responding to ongoing financial struggles.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: David Wilson – Polls

Episode 4 · Dr. David Wilson – Polls
September 25, 2020
Dr. David Wilson discusses the history of polling, how polling has changed, the best practices in gathering data, and how the public should approach information in a poll.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Deb Roy – Twitter

Episode 5 · Dr. Deb Roy – Twitter
October 27, 2020
Dr. Deb Roy discusses how people use Twitter, how it both reflects and drives public opinion, and the role of social media platforms as well as users in regulating conversations and content.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Dannagal Young – Fact Checking

Episode 6 · Dr. Dannagal Young – Fact Checking
December 18, 2020
Dr. Dannagal Young discusses the history of fact checking in US politics, the unique challenges of fact checking in the age of social and digital media, and the best ways to approach correcting misinformation from friends and family on social media. Transcript available here.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Pablo Boczkowski – Newspapers

Episode 7 · Dr. Pablo Boczkowski – Newspapers
January 29, 2021
Dr. Pablo Boczkowski discusses the issues traditional print media are facing today, the importance of “brand” for media outlets, how news is filtered through social media, and the potential implications of sponsored content. Transcript available here.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Alexander Halavais – Google

Episode 8 · Dr. Alexander Halavais – Google
February 19, 2021
Dr. Alexander Halavais discusses the distinction between search engines as tools versus sources of information, how Google algorithms impact search results seen by users, and the potential future of Google.  Transcript available here.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Amanda Sturgill – TV News

Episode 9 · Dr. Amanda Sturgill – TV News
April 30, 2021
Dr. Amanda Sturgill discusses TV news versus other news mediums, local versus national TV news, and the future of TV news.  Transcript available here.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Marcus Funk – Podcasts

Episode 10 · Dr. Marcus Funk – Podcasts [Listener’s Choice Episode]
May 21, 2021
Dr. Marcus Funk discusses diversity in podcasts and podcast listeners, some of the differences between podcasts and more traditional news media, and how podcasts can build community. Transcript available here.

Season 1

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Joan DelFattore – How (and Why) We “Know” What We Know

Episode 1 · Dr. Joan DelFattore, How (and Why) We “Know” What We Know
March 16, 2018
Dr. DelFattore discusses what happens in our brains when we encounter new information and what this means for how we approach the news.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Danielle Ofri – What Doctors Say, What Patients Know

Episode 2 · Dr. Danielle Ofri, What Doctors Say, What Patients Know
April 13, 2018
Dr. Ofri analyzes doctor-patient interacts and gives advice for seeking medical treatment and healthcare information.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: McKay Jenkins – The “Known” Environment

Episode 3 · McKay Jenkins, The “Known” Environment
May 18, 2018
Mr. Jenkins studies our environment, our food sources, and how we can truly know if the labels on our food accurately describe the contents.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Jim Graham – Is Seeing, Knowing?

Episode 4 · Jim Graham, Is Seeing, Knowing?
June 22, 2018
Mr. Graham discusses his Pulitzer nomination, the current state of photojournalism, and the ethics of photojournalism.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: John Logsdon – To Boldly Know

Episode 5 · Dr. John Logsdon, To Boldly Know
July 27, 2018
Dr. Logsdon discusses the politics of Apollo 11, the future of space exploration and NASA, and the concept of a “Space Force”.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Steve Coll – Know Your News

Episode 6 · Steve Coll, Know Your News
September 21, 2018
Steve Coll discusses if professional, evidence-led, fair-minded journalism can survive in this era of political polarization and active international propaganda campaigns on social media.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Shana Payne and Christine Alois – Because Knowledge is Power

Episode 7 · Christine Alois and Shana Payne, Because Knowledge is Power
October 18, 2018
Shana Payne and Christine Alois discuss education in Delaware, its challenges and triumphs, and the best ways to learn more about the system as well as how students and parents can make the most out of their K-12 education.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Caroline Janney – Monumental Knowledge

Episode 8 · Dr. Caroline Janney, Monumental Knowledge
January 25, 2019
Dr. Janney discusses the history of Civil War monuments, the past and present debates surrounding them, and the importance of community engagement with history.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Susan Schneider – Knowing Artificial Intelligence

Episode 9 · Dr. Susan Schneider, Knowing Artificial Intelligence
March 22, 2019
Dr. Susan Schneider discusses misconceptions about Artificial Intelligence, questions about and concerns for the future, and how these issues are intricately tied to philosophy.

Delaware Humanities Podcasts · A Matter of Facts: Michele Anstine – Get to Know the Humanities

Episode 10 · Michele Anstine, Get to Know the Humanities
April 19, 2019
Michele Anstine discusses the origins of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” initiative behind the “A Matter of Facts” podcast, and the misconceptions about the value of the humanities in everyday life.