Listen and Explore

Check out these podcasts from our partner,
​Democracy Works, produced by
Pennsylvania State University's McCourtney Institute for Democracy.

​Use the questions to guide your reflection. Then, explore the topics and issues in the Mucktracker app.
  • What are the implications of the disappearance of news outlets? 
  • Visit the homepage of your local newspaper. Choose a story of local interest. Then, search Mucktracker, which features more national coverage. What differences do you notice?
  • What topics might be missing from the coverage of large news outlets? Do you think national sources will adapt to meet the needs of local areas? 
  • What is the relationship between news and criminal justice in society? 
  • Search Mucktracker for issues related to criminal justice. Try different search terms and notice how the coverage changes. Use the timeline feature to better see these patterns. 
  • How do you think news publications should cover criminal justice issues? 
  • ​Search Mucktracker for stories related to the climate. What topics do you notice? Are they similar or different from what Robert Bullard discusses? Use the comment feature to record your notes. 
  • Use the timeline feature to look at your results over time. What are common narratives or ways of talking about the environment? Do you think there is a better way to talk about environmental justice to bring about change?
  • Do you agree or disagree with the main positions of the speakers in this podcast?
  • Search Mucktracker for topics related to free speech. You may want to search for "cancel culture," "first amendment," or "controversial comments." What do you notice for these results?
  • What are the differences between limitations placed on free speech from the government and those placed in social settings (friend groups, classrooms, or workplaces)?
  • Do you think people should limit what they say? Is it ever okay to ask others to limit what they say? Why or why not?
  • What are the consequences of the decline in trust discussed in this podcast?
  • How important is trust in news publications? How much skepticism is necessary? Can you be trusting and skeptical at the same time? 
  • Search Mucktracker for topics related to "declining trust" or "misinformation." What do you notice? Record in the comment field.