Podcast · 71 episodes
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media
by Semafor Podcasts · English
Every Friday media reporter Max Tani and Semafor Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith pull back the curtain on the most important stories about media, revealing why you see and hear what you see and hear. Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is supported by Think with Google.
Latest episodes
Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario on selling water like a punk band, and why comedy is the one thing Coca-Cola can't buyLiquid Death CEO Mike Cessario explains how Liquid Death sells water by treating marketing as entertainment/comedy, why comedy is hard for big soda companies to copy, and how the brand scales via…25 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Pangram CEO Max Spero on why human touch is about to become the scarcest thing on the internetPangram CEO Max Spero explains how Pangram detects AI-generated or AI-assisted text (and plans for images/video), why “human touch” may become scarce online, and the cat-and-mouse between detection…18 Sep 2026 · 49 min
Salman Rushdie on what he's learned about media after a lifetime of being trapped by itSalman Rushdie discusses his documentary Knife and what he’s learned about media after decades of being shaped by coverage—first by the Iranian fatwa that trapped him, later by the 2022 stabbing and…11 Sep 2026 · 42 min
All episodes
Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario on selling water like a punk band, and why comedy is the one thing Coca-Cola can't buyLiquid Death CEO Mike Cessario explains how Liquid Death sells water by treating marketing as entertainment/comedy, why comedy is hard for big soda companies to copy, and how the brand scales via…25 Sep 2026 · 51 min · 14 chapters
Pangram CEO Max Spero on why human touch is about to become the scarcest thing on the internetPangram CEO Max Spero explains how Pangram detects AI-generated or AI-assisted text (and plans for images/video), why “human touch” may become scarce online, and the cat-and-mouse between detection…18 Sep 2026 · 49 min · 23 chapters
Salman Rushdie on what he's learned about media after a lifetime of being trapped by itSalman Rushdie discusses his documentary Knife and what he’s learned about media after decades of being shaped by coverage—first by the Iranian fatwa that trapped him, later by the 2022 stabbing and…11 Sep 2026 · 42 min · 16 chapters
Jessica Tarlov on being the lone Democrat at Fox, what she knows about Pete Hegseth, and why she defends her conservative colleaguesJessica Tarlov discusses being the lone Democrat on Fox’s The Five, how she handles hostile on-air attacks, what she learned from conservative media, why she defends conservative colleagues, and her…4 Sep 2026 · 56 min · 16 chapters
Taylor Lorenz on the moral panic around kids and phones, and how she logs 17 hours of screen timeTaylor Lorenz argues that a bipartisan “protect kids” moral panic is driving policies that remove anonymity (age/ID verification via driver’s licenses/faces), expand censorship, and enable mass…28 Aug 2026 · 38 min · 16 chapters
Social media consultant Rachel Karten on the death of the follower, micro-dramas, and being “algorithmically ungovernable”Social media has shifted from follower-based “social” feeds to algorithmic entertainment media, driving micro-dramas/brand “shows,” constant content resets (“cold starts”), and confusion over…21 Aug 2026 · 47 min · 18 chapters
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl on AI, streaming power, and why music royalties are the safest asset on Wall StreetWarner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl discusses how record labels have evolved in the streaming era, why music royalties are becoming a Wall Street “asset class,” and how Warner is approaching AI…14 Aug 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 22 chapters
Kareem Rahma on building a talk show empire and the business behind his viral showsReinventing the talk-show format for the TikTok era, using Subway Takes (30-minute cab-driver interviews) and Keep the Meter Running (chill, personal lessons from older men) as examples of “real”…7 Aug 2026 · 1 h 11 min · 19 chapters
Vic Jacobi on building trust in NBA circles and the business of knowing everybodyHow Vic Jacoby (CountOnVic) builds trust across NBA circles while navigating the collapsed boundary between players, agents, and media—turning relationships into branding/“fixer” work.31 Jul 2026 · 38 min · 12 chapters
From WIRED's Uncanny Valley: Tim Heidecker Thinks Twitter Should Be a World Heritage SiteTim Heidecker (comedian; creative director of the Onion’s reboot of Infowars) discusses the Infowars takeover, political satire’s role in public discourse, and why Twitter/X should be run like a…28 Jul 2026 · 41 min · 13 chapters
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is more worried about your phone than your bodyFormer U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy discusses how phones, screens, social media, and AI may worsen loneliness and isolation, and how that harms physical and mental health.24 Jul 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 21 chapters
Steve Hilton on the Murdochs, David Ellison, and conservative media’s CaliforniaSteve Hilton, the Republican nominee for California governor, discusses conservative media’s portrayal of California, his campaign strategy in a huge state, Fox News’ role in his political rise, and…17 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 19 chapters
Katie Nolan on the sports gambling takeover, covering politics, and the slow return of the boys' clubKatie Nolan discusses how live sports are booming in the U.S. (World Cup, NBA/NFL/NHL ratings, rising valuations) while sports gambling, politics, and media incentives are reshaping coverage.10 Jul 2026 · 35 min · 9 chapters
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on LLMs, fighting the bots, and why it’s good that you can't get famous on RedditSteve Huffman (Reddit CEO) discusses LLMs trained on Reddit content, fighting bots/spam, community safety vs free expression, and why Reddit resists influencers and real-name fame.3 Jul 2026 · 44 min · 18 chapters
Alex Cooper on flipping "Call Her Daddy" into a media business and entering the creative agency spaceAlex Cooper discusses how she turned Call Her Daddy into a broader media business (Unwell), why she entered the creative agency space, and how she thinks about creator-led media vs legacy gatekeepers.26 Jun 2026 · 41 min · 16 chapters
David Droga on being “the last Don Draper,” AI’s impact on creativity, and why the boldest ads are the easiest sellsDavid Droga discusses “the last Don Draper” creative leadership, how AI will reshape advertising/creativity, why bold ads can be easier to sell, and what’s happening to Cannes as it becomes more…19 Jun 2026 · 51 min · 15 chapters
Eli Pariser on the end of the feed and how AI will change your morning routineEli Pariser argues that AI will become the central “intermediating” layer for personally relevant news and information, replacing many morning routines that currently involve manually checking texts,…12 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 16 chapters
The “Popcast” hosts on interviewing Taylor Swift, killing the written review, and whether literacy is overThe New York Times Popcast hosts discuss how music criticism and podcasting have evolved, why they shifted toward video/short-form clips, how they maintain critical rigor with A-list guests, and…5 Jun 2026 · 59 min · 18 chapters
Bret Baier on golfing with Trump, his 2028 predictions, and making the case for civilityBret Baier (Fox News Special Report) discusses access vs. editorial integrity, his relationship with Donald Trump (including golfing), civility in political discourse, his China trip and interview…29 May 2026 · 42 min · 10 chapters
Audie Cornish & Ari Shapiro’s journey from radio to podcasts — and what amateurs can learn from prosAudie Cornish and Ari Shapiro discuss their shift from NPR’s All Things Considered to CNN’s podcast Engagement Party, and what audio/podcast amateurs can learn from professional editing and…22 May 2026 · 46 min · 20 chapters
Joe Weisenthal on the business of business media and why AI won’t replace podcastersThe business of business media—how it evolved from blogs to Twitter to podcasts, how “expertise” expanded via social media, and why human conversation-based audio journalism (Odd Lots) won’t be…19 May 2026 · 43 min · 17 chapters
Flynn McGarry on growing up as a food prodigy and the waning power of restaurant reviewsChef/owner Flynn McGarry (Cove, Hudson Square) discusses growing up as a food prodigy under intense national coverage and how restaurant marketing/reviews work in today’s algorithm-driven media…15 May 2026 · 42 min · 16 chapters
Angel Studios is crowdsourcing a "values-based" alternative to HollywoodAngel Studios’ “values-based” crowdsourced studio model as an alternative to Hollywood, using the Angel Guild to vote/veto films and episodes before release; how it’s changing faith/values…8 May 2026 · 49 min · 17 chapters
Johnny Harris on building a journalism project that doesn't sell outJohnny Harris discusses how he built rigorous, long-form explainer journalism on YouTube without “selling out,” and how he’s scaling it via New Press—a creator-first media collective that provides…1 May 2026 · 54 min · 23 chapters