Topic: Trending Topics

Facebook faced accusations of suppressing conservative news stories within its trending topics sidebar following a Gizmodo report. A leaked internal document regarding Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter graffiti at the Menlo Park office allegedly prompted employees to reveal that human curators, rather than neutral algorithms, determine news visibility. The segment examines the use of "injection tools" to artificially inflate or suppress specific topics.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open the program by noting Taylor Swift's recent appearance on Saturday Night Live. Curry observes that Twitter trending topics prioritized the singer and the comedy show over the monumental health care bill passed in the Senate. This observation serves as a critique of national priorities reflected in social media data.

A trending news story features a cat flap equipped with RFID technology that posts photos of cats to Twitter. The hosts discuss the mainstreaming of Twitter following Oprah Winfrey's arrival on the platform. They review current trending topics, including Susan Boyle and Earth Day, while questioning the depth of social media discourse.