Topic: News Literacy

New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed the Division of Homeland Security to develop media literacy tools for K-12 students in public schools. The initiative aims to teach students and teachers how to identify conspiracy theories, misinformation, and online hate. Critics argue this is an extension of ill-defined hate speech laws intended to control digital discourse.

Norway has heightened its military readiness to protect 9,000 kilometers of underwater pipelines following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. The hosts also acknowledge "News Literacy Week," mocking the mainstream media's efforts to define "credible information" while they encourage listeners to deconstruct all sources.

The hosts predict that public companies will use the coronavirus as a "kitchen sink" excuse to hide poor financial performance on their balance sheets. They discuss reports of tech workers avoiding Chinese colleagues and the general public's reliance on headlines. They argue that the No Agenda Show provides necessary distillation of complex news that mainstream outlets ignore.

A clip from a show about Dallas Cowboys cheerleader candidates shows a young woman admitting she gets her news exclusively from Instagram. The coach advises her to consume more news for her own sake. This is used to segue back into a promotion for the "Smart News" app as a solution for poor media literacy.

The BBC has launched a media literacy initiative, including an online game and videos, to teach children how to identify "fake news." The hosts critique the BBC's definition of fake news as information distorted for political or commercial gain, arguing that mainstream outlets often fit this description through omission and slant.

Legislation in Washington and 15 other states is pushing for "media literacy" to be taught in public schools to help students identify fake news and bias. Critics argue that these programs often instill their own biases, using historical examples like Japanese internment to teach children how to deconstruct modern political messaging.

The EU report recommends teaching "media literacy" in schools and suggests that political actors have a "special responsibility" in triggering news coverage. It proposes that the European Fundamental Rights Agency monitor national media for "pluralism," a move the hosts interpret as a mechanism for state-sanctioned propaganda and monitoring.

The hosts speculate that the Jesse James and Sandra Bullock scandal may be a PR stunt to boost James' falling television ratings and merchandising deals. They reiterate their core message that listeners should avoid mainstream news outlets and instead rely on books and independent deconstruction to understand world events.