In the third episode of our Michigan Decides shows about the 2026 elections, Stephen and guests discuss political ads - how and why they're made, how they've changed, and whether they're effective.

Jill Alper, who has done political consulting for nearly 40 years at the state and national level, talked about a number of ads in the current cycle, especially in the contested U.S. Senate race between Democrat Abdul El Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers.

Jason Cabel Roe, also a longtime political consultant, and Michal Traugott, a research professor at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, joined Stephen in studio to talk about the ads and talk with callers, who rang in from around the state.

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Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers faced off in a U.S. Senate debate with just weeks to go before Election Day. Immediately afterward, Stephen Henderson was joined by longtime NPR political correspondent Don Gonyea and Gongwer Michigan reporter Liz Nass to make sense of what Michigan voters heard.

What were the candidates trying to accomplish? Who were they trying to persuade? And what did the debate reveal about the larger political divide in Michigan?

Plus, listeners call in with the moments that stood out to them, the issues they still want the candidates to address, and what they need to hear before casting their votes.

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As Michigan: We Need to Talk launches its Michigan Decides series ahead of the 2026 election, Stephen Henderson asks how voters can sort fact from fiction in an increasingly complicated information environment.

Bridge Michigan journalists Jonathan Oosting and Jordyn Hermani take listeners inside their fact-checking process, including claims emerging from Michigan’s U.S. Senate race and the growing use of AI-generated political content. Longtime national political journalist and Knight-Wallace Fellow Libby Casey discusses social media creators, trust and the new challenges AI poses for voters. And PolitiFact’s Caleb McCullough looks at misinformation nationally and explains what he’s finding as he fact-checks Michigan campaigns.

Plus, Michigan listeners share the political mailers, advertisements and online claims that have made them stop and ask: Can I actually believe this?

Call us anytime at 734-412-7155, or email us at MIweneedtotalk@gmail.com

Join our online community at www.MIweneedtotalk.org