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Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Semafor Podcasts

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.

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27 episodes
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Avg 47 min
English

Episodes 27

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Yesterday · 39 min
Kasey Esser on being the "Brad Pitt of microdramas" and what's next for the booming vertical video format
Actor and producer Kasey Esser joins Mixed Signals to explain the multi-billion dollar "microdrama" industry, and why he's become one of its biggest stars. Max and Ben ask Kasey how a werewolf Romeo-and-Juliet show that shot in just a week for a hundred thousand dollars became a global hit, what it's like to translate Chinese scripts for American audiences in real time on set, and how microdramas make all of their money. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
September 25 · 51 min
Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario on selling water like a punk band, and why comedy is the one thing Coca-Cola can't buy
Liquid Death founder and CEO Mike Cessario joins Mixed Signals (with Semafor business editor Liz Hoffman filling in for Max) to explain how he built a billion-dollar water company by treating his ads like SNL sketches. Ben and Liz ask Mike why he thinks comedy is a more durable marketing genre than celebrity testimonials, why big companies almost never win when they sue smaller ones, and whether Liquid Death will fizzle out into the graveyard of buzzy consumer brands that came before it. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
September 18 · 49 min
Pangram CEO Max Spero on why human touch is about to become the scarcest thing on the internet
Pangram founder and CEO Max Spero joins Mixed Signals to explain how his AI detection tool actually works, and why he thinks the escalating cat-and-mouse game between AI detectors and "humanizers" is a fight worth having. Max and Ben ask Spero about how Pangram can already distinguish Claude from ChatGPT, why he built a humanizer internally and refuses to release it, and what it would actually take for a fine-tuned personal AI to fool his model. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
September 11 · 41 min
Salman Rushdie on what he's learned about media after a lifetime of being trapped by it
Author Sir Salman Rushdie joins Mixed Signals to talk about why he made a documentary about the attack that nearly killed him, and why he's ambivalent about having done it. Max and Ben ask Salman how he and director Alex Gibney divided authorship of the film, and what he felt watching footage of the attack for the first time. They also get into what he's learned from decades of being both subject and strategist in his own media coverage, and why he's trying very hard to pretend AI doesn't exist. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
September 4 · 55 min
Jessica Tarlov on being the lone Democrat at Fox, what she knows about Pete Hegseth, and why she defends her conservative colleagues
Jessica Tarlov is the co-host of both Fox News' The Five and the Raging Moderates podcast. She joins Mixed Signals to talk about what it's like to be outnumbered four-to-one on the most-watched show in cable news — and why she thinks most of her liberal friends are missing what's really happening there. Max and Ben ask Jessica how she navigates on-air conflict without making it personal, what she knew about Pete Hegseth before he became Defense Secretary, and why she finds herself defending her Fox colleagues to New York liberals almost as often as she defends Democrats on air. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
August 28 · 37 min
Taylor Lorenz on the moral panic around kids and phones, and how she logs 17 hours of screen time
Internet reporter and YouTuber Taylor Lorenz joins Mixed Signals to make the case that the bipartisan push to get kids off social media is less about child safety than it looks. Max and Ben ask Taylor where the actual line is between moral panic and legitimate concern, why she thinks the academic consensus on social media and youth mental health is being drowned out, and her at times surprising anti-anti-AI stance. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
August 21 · 46 min
Social media consultant Rachel Karten on the death of the follower, micro-dramas, and being “algorithmically ungovernable”
Social media consultant and “Link in Bio” newsletter author Rachel Karten joins Mixed Signals to explain what social media actually is in 2026. Max and Ben ask Rachel how the shift from follower-based to algorithm-driven distribution broke the contract between platforms and creators, why brands are quietly building their own shows without telling anyone they’re behind them, and what the regulatory gap around paid content is actually doing to the feed. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
August 14 · 1 hr 3 min
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl on AI, streaming power, and why music royalties are the safest asset on Wall Street
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl joins Mixed Signals — with Semafor business editor Liz Hoffman filling in for Ben — to explain what a record label actually does in a world where anyone can upload a song to Spotify. Max and Liz ask Robert why Warner struck a deal with AI music company Suno while Sony and Universal are still suing it, how he thinks about the nuclear-weapons-style leverage labels hold over streaming platforms, and why he thinks Netflix is leaving a massive opportunity on the table by ignoring music. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
August 7 · 1 hr 10 min
Kareem Rahma on building a talk show empire and the business behind his viral shows
Subway Takes creator and host Kareem Rahma joins Mixed Signals to talk about reinventing the talk show for the vertical video era, and just how much it costs. Max and Ben ask Kareem about how he built a show that feels spontaneous but runs like a TV production, why his Kamala Harris episode never aired, and his new show, Keep the Meter Running. They also get into his business model, what he learned from watching VICE go bankrupt, and much more. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
July 31 · 37 min
Vic Jacobi on building trust in NBA circles and the business of knowing everybody
NBA personality and creative consultant Vic Jacobi joins Mixed Signals to talk about how she built one of the more unusual careers in sports media — starting from a Kobe Bryant Twitter follow in high school and turning it into a decade of courtside access, Fashion Week client work, and a branding studio in downtown Manhattan. Max asks Vic how she earned the trust of players who keep famously tight circles, what it means to be the person between an athlete and an agency, and why former NBA star Carmelo Anthony told her she needed to start getting paid for her work. They also get into who has the best "drip" in the league, why the "tunnel fit" era has peaked, and what it was like to navigate Ibiza with three Atlanta Hawks players who needed a plug for a yacht. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
July 28 · 40 min
From WIRED's Uncanny Valley: Tim Heidecker Thinks Twitter Should Be a World Heritage Site
The satirical news publication The Onion is trying to take over Infowars, formerly owned by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and planning to put comedian Tim Heidecker in charge. Their vision is to turn Infowars into ‘Adult Swim’ for the internet. Tim joins WIRED's Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond for the Big Interview, to talk about political comedy, why late-night has run its course, and what he hopes the future of Infowars will look like. Listen and subscribe to Uncanny Valley here.
July 24 · 1 hr 1 min
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is more worried about your phone than your body
Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joins Mixed Signals to make the case that America's loneliness crisis is a public health emergency — and that social media is a bigger driver of it than almost anything else we're paying attention to. Max and Ben ask Vivek why he chose to focus on isolation rather than cancer or heart disease after his tenure as Surgeon General, whether the science on social media harms is as definitive as he suggests, and what'd he say to people who think the health risks of drinking alcohol are worth the social benefits. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
July 17 · 50 min
Steve Hilton on the Murdochs, David Ellison, and conservative media’s California
Steve Hilton has lived many lives: a key strategist to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, a populist Fox News host, and — after renouncing his UK citizenship — the Republican nominee in California’s gubernatorial race. Max and Ben ask him about a career that has intertwined politics and media at every turn, why he succeeded in a primary where Spencer Pratt failed, and how he balances conservative media’s portrayal of California with a campaign to lead the state. They also discuss whether David Ellison’s Paramount would really flee Hollywood, what people get wrong about the Murdochs, and what he really thinks about the character he inspired on The Thick of It.
July 15 · 34 min
Katie Nolan on the sports gambling takeover, covering politics, and the slow return of the boys' club
Sports media host and "Casuals" podcast creator Katie Nolan joined Mixed Signals live at Cannes to talk about navigating two decades of upheaval in sports media. Max and Ben ask Katie why she turned down gambling advertising when it was everywhere, how politics keeps inserting itself into sports whether she wants it to or not, and whether the window that opened for women in sports media is closing again. They also get into call-in radio, hockey's underrated chaos, and what it took for her to become a Jeopardy! champion. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
July 3 · 44 min
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on LLMs, fighting the bots, and why it’s good that you can't get famous on Reddit
Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman joins Mixed Signals during the platform's 21st birthday to talk about what it means to be the internet's anti-social media hub. Max and Ben ask Steve how Reddit thinks about its partnerships, why the company is suing Anthropic, and why it's a good thing that you can't get rich from being a prolific Reddit user. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
June 26 · 40 min
Alex Cooper on flipping "Call Her Daddy" into a media business and entering the creative agency space
Call Her Daddy host and Unwell co-founder Alex Cooper joins Mixed Signals live at Cannes Lions to talk about what it takes to turn a hit podcast into a real media business. Max and Ben ask Alex how Unwell's creative agency ended up going toe-to-toe with Call Her Daddy in revenue, what she learned from her interview with Michelle Obama, and why she's more interested in the marketing than most talent in her field. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
June 19 · 50 min
David Droga on being “the last Don Draper,” AI’s impact on creativity, and why the boldest ads are the easiest sells
David Droga is the vice chair of Accenture Song and the most decorated creative in Cannes Lions history. He joins Mixed Signals to talk about what it actually takes to sell a CMO on a bold idea (and why the boldest of ideas are sometimes the easiest to sell). Max and Ben ask David about how AI is changing the advertising business he's spent his life building, whether the creative visionary still has a place at the top of the industry, and what the New York Times' "Truth Is Worth It" campaign can teach struggling news brands about their own value. He also walks through some of his most famous ads. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
June 12 · 50 min
Eli Pariser on the end of the feed and how AI will change your morning routine
New_Public co-director and coiner of the "filter bubble," Eli Pariser, joins Mixed Signals to walk through his new report on what news consumption looks like when AI takes over. Max and Ben ask Eli how soon your morning routine will change, which platforms are most exposed to AI disruption, and whether centralizing everyone's attention was actually a mistake. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
June 5 · 59 min
The “Popcast” hosts on interviewing Taylor Swift, killing the written review, and whether literacy is over
The hosts of The New York Times’ Popcast show join Mixed Signals to talk about how a two-decade-old music podcast became one of the most coveted interview slots in music — landing Taylor Swift, A$AP Rocky, Olivia Rodrigo, and Bad Bunny — by offering something most celebrity press won't: no question approval, no topic restrictions, and critics who've actually been covering these artists for years. Image Credit: Lucia Bell-Epstein for The New York Times/Reuters 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com
May 29 · 42 min
Bret Baier on golfing with Trump, his 2028 predictions, and making the case for civility
Fox News' Special Report host Bret Baier joins Mixed Signals to talk about what it's like to sit at the center of American political media. Max and Ben ask Bret how he navigates tough questions while maintaining access to President Trump, what he actually learned from the Fox News Dominion discovery process, and why he doesn't vote. They also get into his new book, his 2028 predictions, and whether CBS News has any shot at replicating what he's built. 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 mixedsignals@semafor.com

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