Do you feel discouraged or even defeated about the state of the world? So much so that you find yourself disengaging? What if we told you that there was another path? That there’s a form of reporting that doesn’t just tell you what's wrong in your community but actively works to empower you to help set it right? On this episode ofNews Over Noise, host Matt Jordan and Leah Dajches talk with James Causey, a projects reporter and columnist at theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel, about solutions journalism and the potential it holds for strengthening democracy.

The question of who owns the news has serious implications for the quality of journalism we have access to. Media buyouts and mergers have become so commonplace you might not even realize that your local paper or news station is owned by a massive corporation in some far-off place. You might think, “I’m still getting access to information, so why does diversity in media ownership matter?” To find out, Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan talk with Michael Copps, a former commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission.

“My experience is that audiences want us to be truthful and fair, but they don’t want us to be robots.” That’s a quote from a blog post by journalist Lewis Raven Wallace—a post that led to him being fired from Marketplace. Wallace has become an outspoken critique of the notion that “objectivity” is a catchall for accurate journalism. In this episode of News Over Noise, hosts Leah Dajches and Matt Jordan talk with Wallace about the concept of journalistic neutrality and about what can be done to restore some lost public trust in journalism.

How do you respond when someone disagrees with you? If you’re like many Americans, you probably end the conversation and write them off. And who can blame you when debates are frequently framed as moralistic disputes between the righteous and the enemy? But what's the cost of walking away instead of making an effort to engage? On this episode of News Over Noise, Matt Jordan and Leah Dajches find out by talking with Anand Giridharadas, author of theNew York Times bestseller, The Persuaders. 

Terms like trolls and butterfly attacks sound like something out of a childhood fable. Unfortunately, in the digital information landscape, these terms represent very real tactics that can have devastating effects on democracy. What are these bad-actors are trying to accomplish? And, how can you protect yourself from becoming prey to their malicious schemes? To find out, Matt Jordan and Leah Dajches talk with Dr. Joan Donovan, one of the leading experts on media manipulation, and disinformation campaigns, and online extremism.

Electric vehicles lose some range in the winter — and, to a lesser degree, in the summer. But exactly how much? AAA has brand-new data.

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams about President Trump's latest nominee for the role, Dr. Nicole Saphier.

A tech worker in eastern China's Hangzhou city was dismissed after his job was replaced by AI. An appeals court in the city has ruled the dismissal unlawful.

This week, the federal government's been busy. There are paint jobs, fresh indictments, commemorative items and more. If you've been paying attention — good job!

The trend among boys and young men of optimizing their physical appearance includes dangerous practices. Experts offer advice on how to talk to their sons about body image and healthy behaviors.

Today, most people know the word as a synonym for "destroy." But fewer realize its origins — or that it's come to mean something strikingly different than it once did.