What does an “American Pope” teach us about democracy?
Dr. Nathan A. French What might the papacy of Pope Leo XIV invite us to ask about U.S. history, Catholicism, citizenship, and religious freedom? The […]
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Sports, speech, and the Olympics: the real story is how we cover it
Kathrine Nero The Olympics are supposed to be the world’s easiest storyline. A flag and a uniform. A start line and a finish. A medal […]
Democracy isn’t (March) Madness
Kathrine Nero It’s March, which means millions of Americans are confidently predicting outcomes of games that haven’t been played yet. We study the seeds. We […]
The ‘Stars’ in American Democracy: Spiritualism, Astrology, and U.S. History
Nathan S. French, Associate Professor of Religion & International Studies, Miami University What might stars have to do with American democracy? Perhaps you thought of the 50 stars symbolizing […]
The countdown to 250: Rethinking civic pride before America’s big birthday
Kathrine Nero America’s about to throw a birthday party — a big one. In 2026, the country turns 250, and while the word “semiquincentennial” doesn’t […]
Ready to talk turkey? Tips for tackling tough holiday conversations when politics shows up before the pie
Kathrine Nero In this episode, Kathrine Nero and Lauryn Howery discuss ways to talk turkey, not politics, this Thanksgiving! There’s a chill in the air, […]
Deepfakes and AI are rewriting the rules of truth
Kathrine Nero Chances are within the last few days you’ve seen an image or a video you weren’t quite sure was real. Is it artificial […]
Film and Representation
In this episode, I sit down with tt Stern Enzi, freelance writer, critic and Artistic Director of the Over- the- Rhine International Film Festival, and […]
You Belong with Me …at the Ballot Box: Taylor Swift’s role in voter registration and mobilization
Kathrine Nero One post. One link. Four hundred thousand potential voters. Taylor Swift has contributed to pop culture for the entirety of her career but […]
The Diminishing Role of Journalism in Shaping Voter Opinion
Kathrine Nero For generations, we learned about our political candidates and issues through traditional media: print, television and radio. Except for in-person campaign events or […]