7 chapters across the catalog
John Podesta has joined the Washington Post as a contributing columnist, further blurring the lines between political operatives and journalism. An anecdote describes how the CIA recruits college graduates to work in mainstream media while receiving an agency stipend to influence story direction. This practice, historically known as Operation Mockingbird, is cited as the reason many high-profile journalists have agency backgrounds.
John C. Dvorak discusses his collaboration with Gina Smith on her website, The New Domain. Smith has reportedly attempted to donate to No Agenda via PayPal, though the funds have not yet appeared in the show's records. Dvorak praises Smith's ability to drive traffic through her large social media following and her history in tech journalism.
CIA Media Infiltration, Family of Secrets, and Operation Mockingbird
The discussion centers on the historical and ongoing infiltration of mainstream media by the CIA, referencing the book Family of Secrets. The hosts claim that many military pundits and journalists, including Bob Woodward, have intelligence backgrounds and serve as conduits for agency-written narratives. They describe a process where the agency places stories in foreign papers to have them "laundered" back into American news as fact.
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, CIA Journalist Recruitment
Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd, two of the hikers previously detained in Iran, are reportedly getting married. The hosts discuss the "spy central" reputation of Berkeley and recount a story from journalist Gina Smith, who claimed the CIA attempted to recruit her as a student to plant specific phrases or stories in major publications like The Washington Post.
Gina Smith CIA Story, Economic Hitman Disinformation
An anecdote describes how the CIA allegedly attempted to place reporter Gina Smith in a high-paying newspaper job to serve as a conduit for disinformation. The discussion extends to the book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" and how to identify "stooge" journalists by analyzing their past work and consistent biases.
Book Publishing Industry, Literary Agents, Dummy Contracts
The mechanics of the book publishing industry are detailed, focusing on the role of literary agents like John Brockman. The process involves writing proposals, navigating agent "channels" to specific editors, and negotiating advances. The "dummy contract" is identified as a standard industry trap where authors are expected to negotiate terms rather than signing the initial unfavorable draft.
Gina Smith, author of the Steve Wozniak biography "iWoz," is identified as the person who originally created the Wikipedia entry for one of the hosts. Smith is reportedly working on new book projects in the Bay Area and has been active in monitoring and defending the accuracy of the Wikipedia page.
