Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Semafor Podcasts

Everyone thinks the media is a conspiracy. And it is. Just not the one you think.

  • 30 minutes 56 seconds
    Maverick Carter on building the future of sports media

    Sports media mogul Maverick Carter joins Mixed Signals to discuss the next phase of athlete-led media, from scaling SpringHill Company into a global content powerhouse to rethinking how fans engage with sports. He also breaks down the NBA’s attention economy, his foray into live and digital entertainment, and why a more global basketball game could be the industry’s biggest opportunity. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    24 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 37 minutes 55 seconds
    Patrick Radden Keefe on page-turning journalism, his own celebrity, and the humanity behind his work

    Max Tani and Ben Smith sit down with bestselling author and journalist Patrick Radden Keefe to discuss his gripping new book, London Falling. Keefe reveals how he finds his projects, and navigates his new, unexpected status as a celebrity journalist. They also discuss the art of true crime storytelling, adaptations of his work for film and TV, and how compelling human drama lies at the heart of every interesting topic.


    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    17 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 38 minutes 58 seconds
    Bluesky COO Rose Wang on building a better social network

    On this week’s episode of Mixed Signals, Max and Ben chat with Bluesky COO Rose Wang about how the social media platform is rethinking social media through a more decentralized model. They discuss its rapid growth, reputation as a politically charged space, and the challenge of turning a utopian vision into a real business. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    10 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 39 minutes 58 seconds
    Joanna Stern on quitting the Wall Street Journal and building a media business with AI

    Tech journalist Joanna Stern joins Mixed Signals to discuss leaving The Wall Street Journal after more than a decade to launch her own venture, “New Things,” and what it really takes to bet on yourself in today’s media landscape. Max and Ben ask how she’s using AI as a “co-founder,” and what she learned from immersing herself in artificial intelligence for her new book, I Am Not a Robot.

    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    3 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 42 minutes 28 seconds
    Michael Lynton on the infamous Sony hack and learning from his mistakes

    Former Sony Entertainment CEO and current Snap Inc. Chairman Michael Lynton joins Mixed Signals to revisit the decision that led to one of the most consequential hacks in history: approving The Interview, the Seth Rogen–James Franco comedy that provoked a cyberattack from North Korea. Max and Ben ask why he broke his own greenlight process, and how he managed the fallout as private emails were leaked and careers were upended. They also dive into Lynton’s new book with Josh Steiner, and why he was frustrated by the US federal government’s inaction on its own TikTok ban.


    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    27 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 32 minutes 47 seconds
    The Twitch creators explaining the news to Gen Z

    Douglas Scott Wreden and Aiden McCaig of the Lemonade Stand podcast join Ben and Max to explain how they turned gaming audiences into a loyal following for business, tech, and politics—and what it says about the future of media.

    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]


    20 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 33 seconds
    Introducing: The CEO Signal

    Introducing The CEO Signal, a new show from SEMAFOR hosted by Penny Pritzker and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.

    In each episode, they sit down with global CEOs to discuss the moments of judgment that define leadership — how they interpret the forces shaping their industries, weigh difficult choices, and make decisions when the stakes are high.

    The CEO Signal builds on the SEMAFOR's CEO Signal newsletter, the briefing read by many of the world’s leading chief executives, bringing those insights into direct conversations about leadership, strategy, and the forces shaping the global economy.

    Watch the full conversations on The CEO Signal with Penny Pritzker and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.

    19 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 47 minutes 51 seconds
    Jeffrey Goldberg on "SignalGate," Trump's charm offensive, and why The Atlantic is winning

    Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg joins Mixed Signals on the one-year anniversary of the scoop known as "Signalgate" — when he was accidentally added to a top-secret Trump administration group chat. Max and Ben ask if anything actually changed after the scandal, how Donald Trump reacted to the story, and why the president invited Goldberg to the Oval Office afterwards. Goldberg also talks about falling out with Benjamin Netanyahu, The Washington Post’s struggles under Jeff Bezos, and why he believes The Atlantic’s mix of magazine storytelling and newspaper reporting is the key to its success.


    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    13 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 46 minutes 35 seconds
    Hasan Piker on streaming all day, his relationship with Zohran Mamdani, and the lefty media machine

    Twitch streamer Hasan Piker joins Mixed Signals for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to be the internet’s most prominent leftist streamer. Max and Ben ask him about the scale of his audience, the grind of broadcasting seven days a week, and whether constant livestreaming changes the way he thinks. Piker also talks about collaborating with Democratic politicians like Zoran Mamdani, and dialing back his rhetoric as he edges closer to real political power.

    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    6 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 minute 14 seconds
    Introducing: Compound Interest from Semafor Business

    A note from Ben Smith: If you're listening to Mixed Signals' coverage of the radical changes to the world of media, I think you'll really enjoy Semafor's newest show, Compound Interest from Semafor Business, that casts a light on how pressure from technology and from Wall Street is radically shifting virtually every business.

    On Compound Interest, our brilliant colleagues Liz Hoffman and Rohan Goswami are talking to people at the front lines of those changes — starting with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who used to run a ride-hailing service and now says he's running a platform to be "the operating system for your daily life."

    You can listen to Compound Interest from Semafor Business wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.

    3 March 2026, 5:00 am
  • 35 minutes 59 seconds
    Deborah Turness on bias, the BBC, and the future of public media

    Former BBC News boss Deborah Turness joins Mixed Signals for her first public interview since resigning amid a controversy over an editorial mishap involving a Donald Trump speech. She talks about whether the BBC is truly impartial, how she handled newsroom blind spots around rising populist movements like the UK's Reform party, and why she believes public media can survive a polarized age. The interview was recorded at Semafor’s Trust In Media summit, which can be watched in full on Semafor’s YouTube channel.

    Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

    For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

    Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

    If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

    27 February 2026, 10:00 am
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