Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

YouTube and podcasts have come fully of age as dominant forms of media, and legacy media companies are frantic to buy their way in. Ben and Nayeema tackle this with Colin and Samir, two veteran YouTubers and media thinkers who have spent years helping their peers figure out digital media. They talk about this latest rise of YouTube, the reality of revenue-backed creative, and what legacy media gets wrong about digital creators. It’s a conversation so compelling that… Nayeema reveals she might try to jump ship into that world herself…?! After the conversation, Max Tani joins to debrief and offer his fact-check for the lacrosse scene in LA. Oh, and Colin and Samir also share their many GoDaddy accounts for their endless business ideas. For more from Colin and Samir check out their podcast, The Colin and Samir Show [https://www.youtube.com/c/ColinandSamir], and their newsletter, The Publish Press [https://www.thepublishpress.com/]. If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com [mixedsignals@semafor.com] Find us on X: @semaforben [https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @nayeema [https://x.com/nayeema?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @maxwelltani [https://x.com/maxwelltani] or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza [http://instagram.com/nayeemaraza] Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media [https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media]

Mixed Signals is back for Season 2, and this season we’re following the money in the changing media business. What happens now, after the clear win by podcasts and YouTubers in the election? Is it the end of legacy media, for real this time? And can advertisers keep up with audiences’ evolving media diet? To kick off this conversation, Ben and Nayeema bring on author, New Yorker writer, and media savant, Ken Auletta, who’s been examining the industry since the 90s. They talk about if and how this moment feels different from previous disruptions, how Elon Musk is reshaping media, and Ken shares his, uh, colorful recollections of flying with Ted Turner, his girlfriend, and the couple’s bed. If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com [mixedsignals@semafor.com] Find us on X: @semaforben [https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @nayeema [https://x.com/nayeema?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @maxwelltani [https://x.com/maxwelltani] or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza [http://instagram.com/nayeemaraza] Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media [https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media]

The 2024 election cycle is finally over – so, what’s coming to your screens next? Today, Ben and Nayeema dissect what the media learned from 2024 and where we go from here. They first chat to Max Tani about the news media, and then sit down with Ankler Media’s Janice Min – who has been reporting on (and embedded in) Hollywood culture for decades. The conversation tackles whether politics and art stay linked or divorce, if Donald Trump will wake up “wokeism” again or if Americans will turn to escapism … and why TV is chasing the “gourmet cheeseburger.” Importantly: This is our last episode of season 1 and we want your feedback! Please email us with what you’ve liked, not liked and want more of for season 2. We’re at bsmith@semafor.com [bsmith@semafor.com] and nayeema@semafor.com [nayeema@semafor.com]. Find us on X: @semaforben [https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @nayeema [https://x.com/nayeema?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @maxwelltani [https://x.com/maxwelltani] or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza [http://instagram.com/nayeemaraza] Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media [https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media]

In a noisy election cycle it’s hard to find signals — even of the mixed variety. Today, Ben and Nayeema sit down with reporters David Weigel and Max Tani to parse what you’re not seeing, from the “insane” tv ads at a Pittsburgh Steelers game and the print ads in an Arizona nail salon, to an unpublished Washington Post endorsement that was quashed by Jeff Bezos. One of these things may decide the election, and another could shape the blamegame that follows. If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com [mixedsignals@semafor.com] Find us on X: @semaforben [https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @nayeema [https://x.com/nayeema?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] @maxwelltani [https://x.com/maxwelltani] or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  [https://www.instagram.com/nayeemaraza/?hl=en] Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media [https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media]

With recent appearances from Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, JD Vance and Tim Walz, it looks like Fox is dominating this election. Ben and Nayeema investigate the channel’s durability despite massive lawsuits, MeToo scandals, and star exits from Tucker Carlson, Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly. To go inside the machine, they talk to former “O’Reilly Factor” and “The Five” producer Nate Fredman (who spent nearly 20 years at the network) about what makes Fox tick — and stick. Stick around for Ben and Nayeema’s debrief with Max Tani, who wrote [https://www.semafor.com/article/10/20/2024/how-democrats-are-helping-restore-fox-news-to-cable-dominance] about Fox this week. Fox News insiders, send your tips to Max!  If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com [mixedsignals@semafor.com] Find us on X: @semaforben [https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor], @nayeema [https://x.com/nayeema?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] @maxwelltani [https://x.com/maxwelltani] or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  [https://www.instagram.com/nayeemaraza/?hl=en] Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media [https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media]