Once an expert appears in the news, the story isn’t over.
Episode Description
In today’s information environment, audiences still have to decide whether the voices they hear are credible. And they’re doing that in a media landscape very different from the one journalism once operated in.
In part two of this episode of Pull Quotes, Mark Henick looks at what happens after expert voices reach the public.
Molly Thomas, the host of Big If True on TVO, explains how social media and online platforms have reshaped the way people encounter information, and why younger audiences may be especially vulnerable to misinformation.
Carleton University journalism professor Duncan McCue describes the crushing deadlines that shape modern reporting, and how those pressures influence the sources journalists rely on.
And UK journalist Rob Waugh reveals how fake experts have slipped into mainstream media coverage, exposing vulnerabilities in the way newsrooms verify sources.
Together, these stories reveal how authority can be constructed: through familiarity, performance, and the systems that reward speed over scrutiny.
The question becomes not only who gets quoted, but who gets believed.
Music Credits
“Into the Unknown” by Jonathan Grow via Retrorama APM
About Pull Quotes
Pull Quotes explores how journalism works behind the scenes, from the way stories are framed to the voices that shape public understanding.
Hosted by Mark Henick and Dylan Kulcher.
Podcast art by Matthew Konhauser
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About the author
Mark Henick is the bestselling author of So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience (HarperCollins, 2021). His hundreds of television appearances have included CTV, Global, CBC, ABC, NBC and CBS. His bylines have included CNN, CNBC, USA Today, and The Chicago Tribune, among many more. PEOPLE Magazine called Mark “one of Canada’s most prominent mental health advocates.” He is currently the nationally syndicated mental health columnist for CBC Radio, appearing on more than two dozen stations across Canada each week.
Dylan Kulcher (he/him) is an experienced professional of over 10 years in communications. Graduating with the TMU class of 2026, he has carried over a diverse range of skills in following his passion to work in journalism. He first started writing in the queer online publications Pink Play Mags and has since contributed to T-dot and JRN Radio. You can follow Dylan’s journaling of his varied interests in subcultures at his blog site, 4thdimensionanomalies.