How to Reach People in Today's New Media Amid a Crisis of Mistrust. A Conversation with Emily Jashinsky

Why Should I Trust You?

We’re joined by Emily Jashinsky, co-host of Counterpoints with Ryan Grim. Formerly with The Federalist and The Hill, Emily now serves as DC correspondent for UnHerd and hosts Undercurrents TV. She’s someone well-versed in this shifting media landscape.

Together, we explore the rise of the so-called “New Media”—a world where legacy outlets are giving way to right-leaning podcasters, YouTubers, and social media influencers. As trust in public health, science, and institutions craters, we ask: is this new media ecosystem fueling the breakdown, or finally reflecting a mistrust that’s been simmering for years?

And while critics on the Left call this new media machine unstoppable—blaming it for everything from Trump’s rise to the collapse of trust in science—we push back on that narrative. Could this shifting landscape actually offer unexpected opportunities for public health voices willing to step into the fray?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett (off this week)

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off this week)

Guest:

Emily Jashinsky, former The Federalist, The Hill, co-host of Counterpoints web and podcast show; and the DC correspondent of UnHerd - a news and current affairs site and host of Undercurrents TV.

Sources:

Media Matters "Bubbles" Graphic on Dominance of Right-Leaning Media

https://x.com/GoAngelo/status/1900959918040989731
Joe Rogan Podcast, Dave Smith, Doug Murray, on Expertise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah6kirkSwTg

Emily Jashinsky: Legacy Media Indict Themselves When They Blame the "Right Wing Media Ecosystem"

https://thefederalist.com/2024/11/08/legacy-media-indict-themselves-when-they-blame-the-right-wing-media-ecosystem/

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Chapters

1. How to Reach People in Today's New Media Amid a Crisis of Mistrust. A Conversation with Emily Jashinsky (00:00:00)

2. Intro and Headline: Media, Mistrust, Misinformation or...Is it Something Else? (00:00:44)

3. Meet Emily Jashinsky! (00:02:27)

4. Tom Walks Thru: The Current Media Landscape (00:05:16)

5. Media Matters Bubbles (00:06:53)

6. Trust in Mass Media Has Been Declining Since the 70s (00:08:40)

7. Jashinsky: You Can't Attribute This to Disinformation (00:10:27)

8. Are We Addicted to Conspiracy-Mindedness? (00:15:26)

9. Misinformation vs Fact Checking = missing the bigger problem (00:19:31)

10. Pushing Back on the Narrative (00:25:54)

11. Biases: Revealing Them Can Rebuild Trust? (00:28:25)

12. How Can Science Show Up in New Media? (00:36:10)

13. Can Honesty and Humility Backfire? (00:39:52)

14. Jashinsky: We Are Living in a Reality TV World (00:47:18)

15. Practical Ways to Reach New Media (00:50:21)

16. Thanks Emily! (00:53:12)