Never Post Podcast Debuts: Why The Internet Can Be So Good, Bad & Evil

 Think about the biggest disappointments so far in our lives. Not your life. Sure, you didn't get that job because you never went to the interview, but we're talking about our society. 

Maybe it's that flying cars and jetpacks are still relegated to Bond movies. Or the Marvel Cinematic Universe went down like the Hindenburg in 2023. Or Elon Musk went from genius to someone who makes less sense than your grandpa.

Just like Apple's old slogan -- "There's an app for that" -- we've updated it for podcasting -- "There's a podcast for that."

I have a new podcast for you that should make your ears burn.

  Never Post, a groundbreaking member-supported, employee-owned podcast, is making its mark in the podcasting space with a mission to redefine discussions surrounding the internet. In bi-weekly episodes, Never Post explores the weird, wonderful, and contradictory aspects of the online experience from philosophical, legal, linguistic, and artistic perspectives, among others. 

What does that all mean? Simply, why is the online experience so time-saving, helpful, supportive, and informative, and, at the same time, a Dante's Inferno of trolls, incels, conspiracy theorists, racists, Russian bots, Chinese Bots, and Elon Musk.

Well, Never Post will draw connections and pose questions, hoping to unravel the complexities of technology and human relationships. Through engaging conversations that foster collective curiosity, Never Post aligns itself with a community of listeners marveling at, being frustrated by, or simply navigating the intricate landscape of the internet.

Made by a collective of writers, independent producers, researchers, composers, and inquisitive creators, Never Post’s staff live online. They set out to understand why the internet – and the world, because of the internet – is the way it is.

The show is hosted by Mike Rugnetta (Fun City, Reasonably Sound), a five-time Webby award-winning co-creator of the YouTube series Idea Channel (PBS Digital Studios), original cast member of the renowned Know Your Meme web series, and internet video pioneer. Rugnetta is joined by senior producer Hans Buetow, an award-winning podcast veteran whose work at The New York Times and American Public Media has reached millions of listeners.

Prior to never posting himself, executive producer and Charts & Leisure founder Jason Oberholtzer grew a community of nearly a million followers on Tumblr, and has published two books related to the internet as a creative space.

Producer and host Mike Rugnetta is a writer, host, producer and sound designer who has been working in digital media since 2007. He’s the former host, writer, researcher and co-creator of the five-time Webby award-winning YouTube series Idea Channel, co-produced by PBS Digital Studios. He has hosted two Crash Course series – World Mythology and Theater and Dramaturgy – and he currently produces the actual-play TTRPG podcast Fun City and the sound-studies podcast Reasonably Sound. Not only that, but he got his start as a member of the original cast of the Know Your Meme web series, produced by Rocketboom.

Hans Buetow is an award-winning podcast producer based in St. Paul, MN, who has worked in music and sound for nearly two decades. He has worked as a Senior Audio Producer at The New York Times and American Public Media, where he produced radio and podcast programming which reached millions of listeners. Hans currently works as an independent producer, editor and audio-storytelling teacher.

Never Post explores why the internet – and the world, because of the internet – is the way it is. In addition to reporting on current events, the show facilitates conversations about what it's like Being Online in 2024, looking at the internet through the lenses of art, philosophy, fashion, linguistics, and more. Big ideas meet personal stories, with tech lawyers, security researchers, artists and others as guests.

Led by a team of dedicated, long-time creators, Never Post is committed to modeling a content-production process that is sustainable, and inclusive both on the mic, and behind it. The team of Never Post is also working towards providing resources for those who want to learn how to tell stories with audio, or run their own audio-first productions.

Never Post is available on all podcast distribution platforms starting January 31, 2024, with exclusive premium content accessible at www.neverpo.st for members and subscribers.

Check out Never Post. It's employee-owned, so it's not some media play toy owned by a narcissistic billionaire. Plus, it'll explore the internet for us. Thank goodness, because I don't want to deal with Nigerian Princes, QAnon sycophants, flat earthers, people who don't read books but still want to ban them, people who fire off a Bible quote for every possible situation, evildoers tricking you into clicking that one link, deepfakes, photos of Aunt Rose's colonoscopy, and Walmart clearance items that even China won't take back.