Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture, True Crime, Comedy

4.5 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week’s guest is Renee DiResta, professor, and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. In part one this week, she talks to Lola and Meagan about propaganda, disinformation vs. misinformation, and how social media algorithms push us all into highly individualized, “bespoke” realities.

They discuss how she became interested in this topic after social media algorithms started suggesting anti-vaxxer content to her, how rage bait and other emotionally charged material spreads faster, and why social media makes it seem like other people have more extreme views than the majority of them actually do.

SOURCES

Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is exactly right.
0:06.0	Looking for some spooky vibes this season?
0:08.3	We are here to tell you about the return of the cozy, creepy horror podcast, Rattled and Shuck.
0:12.8	Rattled and Shook is brought to you by Tenderfoot TV, the creators of the hit horror podcast Radio Rental.
0:18.0	Rattled and Shook is a weekly horror variety show featuring true scary stories,
0:22.0	guests, and more. The show is an ode to radio programs of the past with old-timey music
0:26.2	and a slightly retro feel. In season three, host Meredith Stedman will read and react to
0:31.2	haunting tales that are sent in by real people. We advise you to keep the lights on for these
0:35.4	immersive, sound-designed Tales of Terror.
0:37.7	A new season of Rattled and Shook is available now.
0:40.4	Listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:46.3	Trust me.
0:47.5	Do you trust me?
0:49.3	Would I ever lead you astray?
0:50.8	Trust me.
0:51.8	This is the truth.
0:52.9	The only truth.
0:54.3	If anybody ever tells you to just trust them, don't!
0:58.2	Welcome to Trust Me, the podcast about cults.
1:01.9	Extreme belief and manipulation from two visible rulers who have actually experienced
1:07.7	it.
1:07.8	I am Lola Blanc.
	...

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