What's A Conspiracy Theory Anyway? We Talk UFOs, Gov't Secrets & Journalism w Two WSJ Reporters

Why Should I Trust You?

Content provided by Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

3M ago 1:08:39

MP3•Episode home

With the Jeffrey Epstein saga dominating the conversation for weeks now, it feels like we’re roasting in a summer of conspiracy theories.

And given how conspiracy and cover-up play a recurring role in the story we’re exploring about the breakdown of trust in public health and medicine, this week felt as good as any to take on the topic.

So, what’s fueling today’s conspiracy theories? And -- hold that thought -- do we as a society even LIKE the phrase conspiracy theory any more? Where’s the line between healthy skepticism and something more destructive? And couldn’t we come up with a better term for the beliefs of people who say they feel dismissed by an establishment that labels their good-faith suspicions as conspiratorial?

To help us unpack all this, we’re joined by two Wall Street Journal reporters, Aruna Viswanatha and Joel Schectman. Back in June, they published a major investigative piece that dove into the godfather of all conspiracy theories: the claim that the U.S. military has been secretly studying alien spacecraft for decades.

What these reporters uncovered wasn’t what anyone expected and is our jumping-off point for a conversation about conspiracy theories, legitimate suspicion, and how investigative journalism might hold a key to not only getting at the truth, but also rebuilding trust.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Joel Schectman, Wall Street Journal Reporter
Aruna Viswanatha, Wall Street Journal Reporter

Authors, The Pentagon Disinformation That Fueled America's UFO Mythology

https://tinyurl.com/mrxsxxrp

Resources:

Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/misguided/202506/why-people-believe-conspiracy-theories
I Was Just About To When My Grant Was Cut
https://substack.com/home/post/p-169548794
MAHA Supporters Weigh in on Kevin Hall Episode

https://whyshoulditrustyou.substack.com/p/maha-supporters-weigh-in-on-kevin

Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!
Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Chapters

1. What's A Conspiracy Theory Anyway? We Talk UFOs, Gov't Secrets & Journalism w Two WSJ Reporters (00:00:00)

2. Intro and Headlines: Conspiracies. What Are They? (00:00:23)

3. NIH Cuts: I Was Just About To... (00:02:50)

4. Dr. Brendan Manning and Dr Tashara Leak (00:03:43)

5. Talking About Conspiracy Theories (00:07:44)

6. Tom Tells Us a Story About COINTELPRO (00:12:58)

7. Mark: How Do Americans View Different "Conspiracy Theories"? (00:16:59)

8. Social Media and AI's Influence (00:20:28)

9. Welcome Aruna and Joel from the Wall Street Journal! (00:25:49)

10. Did You Believe There Could be a Govt Coverup About UFOs? (00:28:50)

11. What Did You Find? (00:30:39)

12. What Did the Government Program Assigned to Investigate UFO Claims Find? (00:34:03)

13. An Air Force Colonel Walks Into A Bar.... (00:39:23)

14. What Was This Weapons Program? (00:43:09)

15. How the Pentagon Responded (00:51:26)

16. Aruna and Joel Describe Their Process Following a Gut Feeling (00:52:44)

17. Maggie: What Do You Think About People Who Say You're Gaslighting Them? (00:59:35)

18. Thank you Aruna and Joel! (01:08:14)

19. Please rate, like, review! Thanks, bye! (01:08:28)

55 episodes

#Science #News Talk #News #Brinda Adhikari #Dr. Mark Abdelmalek #Maggie Bartlett #Public Health #Vaccine #Covid #Pandemic