Topic: Media Sourcing

Hollywood producer Dana Brunetti reportedly has an inactive account on No Agenda Social, leading to a discussion about the platform's lack of a functional password recovery system. The hosts joke that the system's difficulty keeps certain people away. The segment concludes with the discovery that the domain "opensourcemeat.io" is currently held by a broker.

The "Fediverse," a decentralized network of social media servers, experienced conflict when the platform Gab forked the open-source Mastodon code to join the network. Many existing Mastodon instances pre-emptively blocked Gab, citing concerns over hate speech and the platform's monetization of open-source infrastructure.

Gab.com launched a new social media system based on a fork of the Mastodon platform, aiming for decentralization. The move has faced criticism and blocking threats from existing "Fediverse" administrators who associate the platform with extremist content.

Spotify's acquisition of Gimlet Media and Anchor marks a shift toward a centralized, ad-supported podcasting model. The hosts express skepticism about moving to platforms that restrict content to specific apps and prevent ad-skipping. Plans are discussed for a potential revival of the Daily Source Code using a new monetization platform that includes music licensing.

Following the Special Counsel's dispute of the BuzzFeed story, PBS NewsHour omitted the correction from its primary news teaser, effectively burying the follow-up. The reliance on anonymous "government sources" by major publications like The New York Times is criticized as a systemic failure in modern journalism. The segment argues that the lack of accountability for "fake" reporting has become normalized in the industry.

Nate Silver of 538 published a guide suggesting that anonymous sources "familiar with a person's thinking" are often reliable. This claim is criticized as a way to institutionalize psychic-style reporting in mainstream journalism, particularly in the New York Times and Washington Post. The hosts argue that such sourcing allows media organizations to print unverifiable claims without accountability.

Tucker Carlson and his guests ridiculed a CNN report claiming that President Trump returned from his overseas trip "angry" and having "gained weight." The segment criticizes the media's reliance on unnamed sources for trivial or speculative personal details. This type of reporting is framed as a desperate attempt by networks like CNN to maintain an anti-Trump narrative despite a lack of substantive news.

Donald Trump doubled down on his "enemy of the people" label for the media, specifically targeting outlets that use anonymous sources to create "fake" stories. He argued that the media intentionally omits the word "fake" when reporting his criticisms to make it appear he is attacking the entire press. The hosts discuss the performance art aspect of Trump's delivery and his long-standing consistency on these themes dating back to 2013.

Kodi, an open-source media manager, is discussed in the context of users hacking Amazon Fire Sticks to access free content. There is speculation that the media may spin the recent DDoS attacks to crack down on unauthorized software installations on streaming devices.

The process of gathering clips has evolved from recording directly off a television DVR to sourcing high-quality segments from YouTube and other online platforms. This shift allows the hosts to provide direct links in the show notes for their audience. They credit their "producers" (listeners) for finding and sharing relevant clips via Twitter, which helps them stay current on global news events.

Adam Curry announces the completion of a new open-source social networking tool based on RSS and OPML. He positions this "river" project as a decentralized alternative to centralized platforms like Facebook and Google+, allowing users to maintain control over their data and identity.

A positive review of the No Agenda show from MediaSpy.org is read, praising the podcast's "open source media" funding model. The article highlights how the show avoids traditional advertising in favor of listener donations, knighthoods, and merchandise. The reviewer suggests this model represents the future of the media industry in an era of failing paywalls.

Plans are announced for the relaunch of the "Daily Source Code" podcast, with a focus on a new phase of content creation. The discussion touches on the challenges of maintaining a sustainable business model in independent media. The new show is intended to be distinct from current projects while maintaining a live streaming component.

A discussion regarding social media growth highlights one host surpassing 10,000 followers on Twitter within twenty days. The conversation shifts to the utility of a large following for crowdsourcing information, specifically seeking recommendations for open-source or shareware programs to convert DVDs into laptop-viewable files.