Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media
If you're angry, frustrated, or scared about the state of politics and media and looking for thoughtful, balanced discussions, this podcast is for you. About 30 minutes every few weeks. It will change your life. Outrage Overload explores the extreme polarization and political bias dominating politics and media today. We dive into the anger and outrage that drive divisions between people, distort the news, and fuel political violence. Each episode features leading scientists, researchers, authors, and community leaders tackling topics like outrage fatigue, toxic polarization, extremism, healthy conflict, disinformation, social media's role in outrage, and the influence of technology and artificial intelligence. Join us to rediscover humanity in your rivals, improve your mental health, and find practical strategies to feel less stressed and more in control in a world fueled by outrage. Outrage Overload helps listeners with critical questions about outrage culture, political polarization, misinformation, and media manipulation—offering science-based insight, expert interviews, and practical tools to stay grounded in a divided world. If you’ve ever asked yourself… • How can I stay politically informed without feeling outraged or exhausted all the time? • Why is political polarization getting worse, and what can we do about it? • What exactly is outrage culture, and how does it manipulate us? • How do I talk about politics without it turning into a fight? • Am I being misled by the media? How can I tell? • What’s the psychological toll of living in an outrage-driven media environment? • How can I build critical thinking skills to make sense of today’s news? • What role does social media play in fueling outrage and misinformation? • Is it possible to care about politics without losing your mind? • What practical tools or insights can help me deal with toxic politics and media? …then this is the politics show you didn’t know you needed. Join host David Beckemeyer—science communicator and founding CTO of EarthLink—as he explores the mechanics of outrage, speaks with experts in psychology, media, and political science, and equips listeners with strategies for navigating today’s high-conflict culture with emotional resilience, critical thinking, and civil discourse.
Episodes
Is democracy failing because citizens aren’t truly thinking through the issues?
In this episode, we hear from Prof. James Fishkin, Stanford scholar and creator of Deliberative Polling, a groundbreaking method used around the world to reveal what people would think if they had the chance to deliberate in depth.
Fishkin explains why deliberation is about more than civil conversation. It’s about helping ordinary people make better decis...
War, political chaos, economic fears, AI disruption—the world feels like it’s on fire. And the media? It never stops pouring fuel on the flames.
In this final chapter of the Outrage on the Mic series, we explore how outrage has become the currency of media—from the fiery sermons of Father Coughlin to the viral rants of today’s podcasters and political pundits.
Why does outrage work so well? Can creators build something different in a...
In Part 2 of our special series Outrage on the Mic, we go back in time to explore how public outrage has shaped societies long before the digital age. David Beckemeyer is joined by Outrageous History! host Ernest Granson, who brings his journalist’s eye to scandals, uprisings, and media-fueled conflicts from the French Revolution to the Spanish-American War.
Whether you're a history nerd, media critic, or just trying to make se...
Outrage Overload x Outrage Factory
This week, we kick off our special July series, Outrage on the Mic, with a fun and irreverent crossover featuring the hosts of Outrage Factory—Dale Deruiter and Geoff Gauthier.
We explore the absurdity of online outrage, how humor can both defuse and amplify it, and what it means to build a show around the week’s most ridiculous controversies.
This is Part 1 of our Outrage on the Mic series, where we...
Why is it so hard to have civil conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? And can we break through the outrage culture, media tribalism, and polarization that dominate today’s discourse?
In this episode, we talk with Adam Boaz Becker, founder of Headon.AI, an AI platform designed to foster political dialogue and bridge divides. Adam shares what he's learned from years of street interviews in Israel and the West Bank...
Exploring Democratic Erosion and the Rise of Authoritarian Tactics
Is the U.S. Sliding Toward Competitive Authoritarianism? Political scientist Lucan Way joins us to discuss signs of democratic erosion, competitive authoritarianism, and the weaponization of institutions. Drawing from his co-authored New York Times essay, “How Will We Know When We Have Lost Our Democracy?”, Way explains how democratic backsliding may already be under...
Why are we so divided — and what can we really do about it? In this episode, Rich Harwood, founder of The Harwood Institute and author of The New Civic Path, returns to the show to share how communities across America are rebuilding trust and taking action — without waiting on Washington.
We talk about how to bring people together, restore belief in each other, and start healing our divided country from the ground up.
If you're ...
How Wellness Content Fuels Conspiracies
What starts as a search for natural living or homegrown veggies can slowly become something else entirely.
In this episode, we follow the personal story of Kavisha Pillay, a digital ethics expert who unexpectedly found herself pulled into the “tradwife” aesthetic while simply exploring homesteading and wellness content online. We explore how seemingly wholesome spaces—like DIY cle...
How a Doctor’s Long COVID Journey Exposed Systemic Failures
Millions are still living with long COVID, yet many patients are dismissed, misunderstood, or left without answers. In this episode, Dr. Zeest Khan shares her personal journey—from treating critical patients as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist to becoming a long COVID patient herself.
This conversation isn’t just about COVID—it's about how we listen, how ...
How AmeriCorps Cuts Threaten Our Civic Future
Tens of thousands of AmeriCorps service positions are being eliminated. In this episode, we explore how cuts to national service programs are affecting communities, civic engagement, and the future of democracy in America.
Maureen Eccleston, Chief Impact Officer at Service Year Alliance and longtime AmeriCorps alum, joins David Beckemeyer to break down what these cuts mean, who’s being im...
Why 500 Organizations Joined Forces to Bridge America’s Deepest Divides
We sit down with Karissa Raskin, the new CEO of Listen First Project, a national organization leading a coalition of over 500 groups working to reduce toxic polarization and build stronger communities through connection and dialogue. Karissa shares her personal journey into the bridge-building space, what it’s like to lead a movement that spans ide...
Exploring Media Consolidation, Distrust, and the Future of News
Why are major newspapers stepping back from endorsing presidential candidates? What does that say about the Fourth Estate—and its ability to hold power accountable?
In this episode of Outrage Overload, David Beckemeyer is joined by journalist and educator Michael Deas, former editor at The Chicago Tribune, to explore the challenges facing journalism today. ...
How Perceptions of Harm Drive Moral Outrage and Political Conflict
In episode 61, we explored Outraged! with Kurt Gray, discussing the harm-based model of morality and how our perceptions of harm and victimization fuel moral outrage. But there’s so much more to uncover.
In this episode, we take a deeper dive into the research behind these ideas with moral psychology researcher Sam Pratt. We examine the paper Morality in...
How Systems Like Community Notes on Twitter/X Aim to Break the Cycle of Misinformation
Are social media algorithms fueling misinformation and deepening echo chambers—or can they help bridge divides? In this episode, we talk with Paul Resnick, a pioneer in recommender systems and digital trust, about how platforms curate content, the truth behind filter bubbles, and whether fact-checking tools like Community Notes ...
Why Resistance Matters: Lessons from Postcards to Hitler
How does authoritarianism take hold? What warning signs do we often miss? In this episode, we speak with Bruce Neuburger, author of Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror, about the rise of political extremism—then and now. Neuburger shares his grandfather’s incredible story of resistance under Nazi rule and explores the modern parallels...
Why is outrage so powerful? And why does it feel so addictive? In this episode, Dr. Kurt Gray joins us to discuss his new book, Outraged!, which offers a groundbreaking look at the psychology of moral fury, social media outrage, and political division. If The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt set the stage for understanding moral differences, Outraged! is the next step—revealing how outrage operates as a social force in the digital ...
A Ritual for Intentional Living
In this special bonus episode of Outrage Overload, I share a personal ritual that keeps me grounded and mindful of the ripples we create in our daily lives. Originally recorded for What’s Your Ripple?, this conversation explores the power of small, intentional actions and how they shape the world around us.
I sit down with JJ Holley, a retired Air Force Major and founder of Ripple Retreat, an alcohol-f...
In this special PODCASTHON episode of Outrage Overload, we’re spotlighting Dev Mission, a nonprofit dedicated to training and mentoring underserved young adults for careers in tech. We sit down with Leonardo Sosa, founder and executive director of Dev Mission, to discuss how the organization is closing the digital divide, increasing diversity in tech, and helping young people from underrepresented backgrounds break into the industr...
Why do younger generations feel so disconnected from the world their parents grew up in? Are millennials just complaining, or is there something deeper at play?
In this special OK Boomer episode of Outrage Overload, host David Beckemeyer sits down with Valerie Beck, a holistic health practitioner and founder of Intrepid Wellness, to explore the complex dynamics between boomers and millennials. From shifting expectations to the weigh...
How Media Shapes Reality
James Shanahan, a leading expert on cultivation theory, joins David Beckemeyer to explore how television, news, and social media influence public perception, fear, and political polarization. They discuss the Mean World Syndrome, the rise of outrage media, and how algorithms amplify division. Tune in to learn how media effects shape our world—and what we can do about it.
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