Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Ben and Nayeema take on the critique of bias in the media with The Economist's James Bennet —a conversation that always seems timely, but especially so right now, weeks away from a US election and with an expanding conflict in the Middle East. To help make sense of what we see as media bias and the moral questions that journalists grapple with every day, James shares his experience as the Jerusalem Bureau Chief at The New York Times. He continued to be at the fulcrum of this discourse when he was forced to resign as the Times Editorial Page editor during a heated moment at the publication in 2020. Bennet is now a senior editor at The Economist where he writes the Lexington column. Read James' piece "Letter From the Middle East; Children Fill Ledger of Death, No Matter How, or How Many." If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

Ben and Nayeema tackle the emerging AI battle between machines and humans, a topic that was glaringly absent from this week’s Veep debates but is at the center of everything from the dockworkers’ strike to Hollywood’s grand plans. To figure out how long they and the creative and media elite have job security, they speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar whose latest play, McNEAL, wrestles with AI and ethics. And for Blindspots, Max spills on what film you need to see … before, um, the machines replace the filmmakers.  NOTE: This episode discusses the dockworkers’ strike, and was taped before the strike was suspended on Thursday night. If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

Ben and Nayeema discuss a reporter’s digital dalliance with RFK. Jr, and what it says — and doesn’t — about journalism. Then they bring on Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark Podcast, and a star of the anti-MAGA movement. They ask: Is the hot new space in the media, and on YouTube, in the political center? Finally, Max joins in for Blindspots to get quick takes on VP Harris’ decision to guest on the All The Smoke podcast. If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

On the heels of Mark Zuckerberg’s live interview with the Acquired podcast, hosted at a packed Chase Center in San Francisco, Ben and Nayeema explore the icy relationship between traditional media and big tech.  Why are Silicon Valley’s CEOs more likely to be found gabbing on a podcast about their fashion choices than quoted in the New York Times? When did the media and tech breakup, who is to blame, and who wins and loses when hard questions are optional? To answer these questions, they talk to a podcast host, creator, and investor who has been on the winning side of this dynamic: Jason Calacanis host of This Week in Startups and co-host of All-In. On All-In, Jason has interviewed tech titans and political figures including Marc Benioff, Elon Musk, JD Vance, and Donald Trump. Ben and Nayeema ask whether anything is lost when “CEO safe spaces” replace hardball interviews.  To wrap things up and bring the temperature down, Max Tani brings on an ESPN blindspot.  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

After a quick review of what moderator lessons and memes will stick from this week’s debate, Ben and Nayeema turn to New York Times reporter and former restaurant critic Pete Wells to explore the fight between the new wave of influencers and the old guard of gatekeepers in food. On the menu: the health hazards of criticism, how celebrity chefs and TikTokers altered the power of his seat and whether diversifying food reviews in the midst of the culture wars were “DEI,” “virtue signaling” or simply — as Pete reveals — an organic evolution. Also: if, unlike immigrants in Ohio, he’s ever tasted dog or cat.  “It's one of the few things I haven't eaten”  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxtani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

If you feel surrounded by sports on all sides, losing the battle to keep up with new leagues (hello pro pickleball?), athlete-influencers post-game podcasts, and who’s getting paid what, you’re not alone. Sports is swallowing media, and swallowing our lives. This week, Ben and Nayeema explore whether the sports boom is driven by culture or by commerce, and if this boom might be a bubble.  To help figure it out, they bring on John Skipper, former President of ESPN and current founder and CEO of Meadowlark Media who makes a compelling case of American exceptionalism in sports, and the incentives of billionaires who own these teams. Finally they bring on Semafor business and finance editor Liz Hoffman for a blindspot from Silicon Valley: the rise of “founder mode.” If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @lizrhoffman or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

Ben and Nayeema tape from the Democratic National Convention, breaking down the positive vibes, rise of the credentialed TikTok creator and what Trump is up to on the outside of this bubble. Tommy Vietor joins them to discuss what sway he and his fellow Pod Save America hosts have with Obama, why the DNC is tuning out Gaza protesters, and whether the party’s newfound unity around Kamala Harris can last through November 5. Finally, fresh off a GQ photoshoot, Max joins the podcast to talk style and the viability of a Chick-fil-A streaming service.  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema@maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter here. Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

Fresh off digital detoxes, Ben and Nayeema plug back in to a moment of Olympics patriotism and to a patriotic (?) American media that is refusing to report on the substance of a foreign hacking campaign that targeted former President Trump. This episode digs into the irony of the media’s glee at the 2016 DNC hack – and the careful treatment of the Trump campaign hack of today. Eight years ago Wikileaks dumped a trove of emails before the public, leading to revelations about Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speeches and John Podesta’s secret to a great risotto. Today, we’re not sure if any amazing recipes are part of the Trump campaign hack because The New York Times, Politico, and The Washington Post have all declined to report its contents. Ben and Nayeema explore why these two campaign hacks are receiving totally different media treatments and why people are mad at Ben for celebrating today’s editorial restraint.  To dive deeper, they talk to Christina Reynolds, a Democratic operative, opposition researcher, and two-time victim of digital hacks. Her emails were part of both the 2014 Sony hack and the 2016 DNC hack. Finally, producer Alli stands in for Max this week, offering a breakdancing blindspot.

COVID-19 feels like ancient history, but its effects linger — including what the pandemic did to citizens’ trust in media. Ben and Nayeema discuss the distrust that came out of the coronavirus pandemic and dig into the role that the media played. They talk to the man who became the center of media scrutiny during the peak of the crisis: Dr. Anthony Fauci, who recently came out with his memoir, On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service. Then for Blindspots, they check in with Donald McNeil Jr., the health and science reporter behind The Wisdom of Plagues, whose voice became a fixture of The Daily during the pandemic.  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

In the flurry of the brat phenomenon, Nayeema and Ben debate whether Kamala Harris can surf memes all the way to election day and how “childless cat lady” is only expanding the K-hive. They bring on Frank Rich, the executive producer of the hit shows Veep and Succession, to get his notes on an election month that’s stranger than fiction, and ask whether an idealist show like The West Wing could be made today. Finally, Max Tani joins for Blindspots to discuss RFK’s phone-free farming program for the Lexapro-addled, Adderall-popping American populace — plus: why Americans are hiding their spending habits from loved ones. If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

Ben and Nayeema discuss reactions to the attempted assassination of former President Trump – from a cautious media, an internet in overdrive and a Republican National Convention that proved surprisingly welcoming. Then, they turn to the undercurrent of the RNC: the campaign for the hearts of American men, via the UFC, Hulk Hogan, and broader “manosphere.” Semafor Political Reporter Kadia Goba also joins to talk about Trump’s appeal to Black men, particularly the iconic athletes of the 80s (you’ll hear from Mike Tyson and Lawrence Taylor). And, of course, Max Tani fills our blind spots … with a dog interview and gym etiquette. If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

After a brief assessment of President Biden’s strategy to shut down his critics, Ben and Nayeema move on to the larger culture and gender wars that will define the 2024 election, regardless of who ends up on the Democratic ticket. They look at recent upheavals of a media-fueled myth that women can “have it all” and dig into how trends of trad wives, polyamory and “hot celibacy summer” pierce that mythology, as does the conservative Project 2025.Then they connect with Lindsay Peoples, editor-in-chief of The Cut, to discuss vibe shifts, the politicization of gender roles and whether the publication is putting its thumb on the scale for Kamala Harris.  Finally, Max Tani joins to rid us of our blindspots, replete with DC spin and (national security) influencers in the wild.  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

How did the media miss the biggest story in American politics? Many journalists were shocked by Joe Biden’s decline, showcased on a debate stage. Did we ask the wrong questions, or fall for White House spin? Or did we, as Republicans claim, engage in a cover-up?  In this emergency pod, Nayeema, Ben and Max separate conspiracy from reality and reasonable reporting questions falling out of everything from “Weekend at Bernie’s theories” to Jill Biden’s role. They take you inside the media and party machinery bringing spicy takes from top editors and other media elite. Finally, they make some predictions about where it goes from here and who would be the media savviest Biden-replacement (… if it comes to that). If you have a take on whether it was the media’s fault - drop us a line mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media

Where were you when Joe Biden lost the debate to Trump? Max was in the CNN Spin Room, Nayeema watched with a cabal of crypto bros and Ben was at home scrolling X. They discuss the moment the debate was decided (9:22 or 9:23 EST) — and who gets to call it. Then, Ben and Nayeema turn to an interview with political statistician and professional gambler Nate Silver to talk election prediction, Biden’s age, and why Nate’s new Silver Bulletin model gives Trump a 66% chance of winning the election in November.  Finally, Nayeema makes us eat our spinach with a quick tour of global elections whose participants can’t possibly produce 90 minutes of television as bad as we just watched. Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Sign up for Nate Silver’s newsletter, Silver Bulletin: https://www.natesilver.net/subscribe Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

Despite Washington moves to ban TikTok, the company and influencers in the South of France seem to be in denial. Ben, Nayeema, and Max explore conspiracies around TikTok and the company's future, particularly if its most recent Tokfluencer, Donald Trump, wins in November. Then they turn to the saga of Will Lewis, CEO of The Washington Post, unpacking why everyone (in media) is talking about it and what it means for the bigger picture of journalistic ethics. Max brings blind spots from the worlds of short-short fashion and political video editing, and Nayeema and Ben talk about how we get to the bottom of the age question in the presidential campaign. Also: on-the-ground updates from the Cannes Lions Festival, where you can find the real conspiracy behind media: The ad business. Watch the full TikTok from user tophertownmusic that we played part of in the episode: https://www.tiktok.com/@tophertownmusic/video/7368680270368787758 Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

In the wake of Hunter Biden’s conviction, Ben and Nayeema revisit the media’s history of covering the President’s son and the “October surprise” of his infamous laptop. Then they turn to the challenge of covering foreign wars, including Gaza, and talk with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, about her critique that the media is ignoring the crisis in Sudan. Max joins to share a couple blindspots: The politicized rise of drinking raw milk, and the state of Trump’s private jet. Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

Ben and Nayeema dissect the battle brewing between American newsrooms and President Biden, wondering whether the Brits are to blame. Then they call up Richard Linklater, famed director of films including Boyhood, Dazed and Confused and, his latest, Hit Man, to contemplate whether it was Marvel, #MeToo or something else that took sex out of the cinema.  Also: Max tries to open our hearts and minds to a faith-based Trump ballad, and Ben vows to improve Amtrak, with the help of unlimited LinkedIn messaging.  Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

In our first episode, Ben and Nayeema catch New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman outside the courthouse where a jury just convicted former President Donald Trump. But will the media circus change anyone’s mind?  Then they sit down with Vivek Ramaswamy to talk about his plans for BuzzFeed, following his purchase of 8.4% of the company.  Finally, Semafor Media Editor Max Tani joins the show to discuss media blindspots and defend phones at bedtime.  Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google

The truth about modern media — from inside the machine. Every Friday starting May 31, journalists Ben Smith and Nayeema Raza pull back the curtain on the week’s key stories, revealing how money, access, culture and politics shape everything you read, watch, and hear. Sign up for the Sunday night blockbuster newsletter from Semafor Media: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Or drop us a line if you’ve got thoughts on the show, or a tip for a story: mixedsignals@semafor.com Read more from Ben on Semafor: https://www.semafor.com/author/ben-smith Find Nayeema on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nayeemaraza Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google