4. The Little Bird, With Malcolm Gladwell

Can a story be true even when most of its details are false? In 2005, Malcolm told a story at the Moth about his early days as a journalist. When he was accused of falsifying the facts, he admitted he’d made a lot of them up—but he insists the story wasn’t a lie. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville You can check out Malcolm’s Moth story in full on ‘This American Life’ here: “Tough News Room.” And if you want to take a really deep dive into this episode, you can read Jack Shafer’s Slate story here: “The Fibbing Point.” But don’t click on these links until after you’ve listened to this episode—unless you love spoilers. Which would be weird, frankly. Just press play! Good grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

This is a podcast about the lies people tell. Science says that 60% of people can’t get through a 10-minute conversation without telling at least one lie. (Ten minutes!) These lies, told by normal people, provide the backbone of this show.  Truthless is a curiosity-driven storytelling show, featuring one central interview in each episode. Together, Brian and the guest will retell the story of a lie, and in the process try to make sense of the insecurities, desires and vanities that drove the guest to tell that lie in the first place. Season 1 will feature a wide spectrum of stories, including: catfishing; lying to your parents; inventing your family when talking to strangers; and faking your own death to get out of a job. The guests will include a few celebrities (Malcolm Gladwell, The Kid Mero), a few Ringer colleagues (Katie Baker, Rob Harvilla, Tyler Parker), some great stories told by less well-known names. The takeaway: everybody lies, and it’s worth hearing about.