8 chapters across the catalog
Reverend Al Sharpton's involvement in Virginia politics is characterized as a "shakedown" business model. The segment alleges that Sharpton and his National Action Network (NAN) trade "absolution" for corporate or political donations following racial controversies. This tactic is compared to the historical practices of Jesse Jackson and the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences.
Corporate Leverage, Fascism and Hitman Journalism
The hosts argue that the government uses leaks to leverage Silicon Valley companies. They suggest Microsoft was targeted because it did not donate enough to the Obama campaign. By labeling companies as complicit in surveillance, the government forces them to "play ball" by its rules, using journalists like Greenwald as "hitmen."
Public Broadcasting Model and the Rejection of Advertising
The hosts examine the financial model of No Agenda, comparing it to the direct support systems of PBS and NPR. They play a clip of an NPR executive admitting that "underwriting" is essentially advertising. Curry and Dvorak explain their decision to avoid advertisers to maintain editorial independence and prevent corporate influence from companies like Monsanto or Archer Daniels Midland.
In a first for the show, a corporation—Upstart Ventures—is granted a knighthood. The hosts discuss the legal fiction of corporate personhood before pronouncing "Sir Upstart" a Knight of the No Agenda Roundtable following a $1,000 collective donation from its employees.
No Agenda Donations, Corporate Media Payoffs
The hosts thank various donors, including Dara and Stuart Gold, and discuss the "value-for-value" model of the show. They argue that advertisements from companies like GE and Boeing on mainstream news networks are not intended to sell products to consumers. Instead, these ads are characterized as "payoffs" to ensure the media outlets align with corporate and government agendas.
NPR Donation Drives, Public Radio Funding and Giving Levels
National Public Radio (NPR) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) are criticized for their aggressive donation drives and "giving level" terminology. Despite receiving government funding, these organizations utilize a "sold out" advertising model to drive up sponsorship prices. The hosts contrast this with the No Agenda value-for-value model.
Solitaire in Government, Supreme Court Corporate Spending
A photograph from a budget meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, allegedly shows legislators playing solitaire and watching baseball on their laptops during a debate. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, featuring new Justice Sonia Sotomayor, is set to hear a case regarding corporate spending in federal elections. The ruling could potentially remove limits on direct corporate donations to political campaigns.
Campaign Finance, Billion Dollar Election Costs
Total spending for the 2008 election is estimated to exceed $1 billion, effectively ending the era of campaign finance reform. Discrepancies in reporting from CNN suggest even higher figures, leading to questions about the influence of Wall Street and large corporations on the political process.
