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 se...
The Super Bowl, the biggest single media event in the US, is upon us. And the Chiefs and the Eagles aren’t the only ones with a lot on the line: advertisers have staked their reputations – and for Instacart’s Laura Jones, her job – on 30 seconds of airtime this Sunday. This week, Ben and Max bring on the Instacart CMO to talk about what it takes to make a Super Bowl ad, the thinking behind their Marvel-style approach, and her high stakes bet in one of the only remaining mass audience moments in media. They also talk about how she got 9 other brands to participate in the ad, why she avoided celebrities, and the vibe shift from “purpose” to escapism in advertising.
Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
--------
40:12
How to Make Money in Media, with Kara Swisher
Kara Swisher has been a reporter, an editor, a founder, and is now one of the most successful podcasters in the world. This week, Ben and Max bring on the host of On with Kara Swisher and co-host of the popular tech podcast Pivot to talk about the business of media in 2025. She talks unabashedly about her own income, and whether other journalists can and should break out of big media companies to build brands like hers. She’s also got unexpectedly kind words for how Rupert Murdoch – “Uncle Satan” as she calls him – is handling the current media moment, and an update on her bid to buy The Washington Post.
Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
--------
46:58
How the Creator Economy Has Transformed Advertising
This week, we look at digital fragmentation through the eyes of a transformed marketing industry – because to really see where media is headed, you have to follow the money. Ben and Max bring on CMO of Verizon and former Twitter CMO, Leslie Berland, to talk about how creators have changed marketing and what she thinks is coming next. They also talk about how Twitter and social media changed the brains of the people who worked there and how advertisers avoid cringe when chasing memes.
Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
--------
40:08
Davos, the Inauguration, and Media’s Place in the New Global Order, with Ian Bremmer
As the second inauguration of Donald Trump approaches and global leaders head to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, we at Mixed Signals want to know: what will media’s role be in an increasingly unstable era? And will it bring more order or disorder for global politics? To discuss this, Ben and Max bring on political risk advisor Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group. They talk about how global leaders are engaging with new media and if digital media is shaping global politics, or vice versa. They also talk about Ian’s run-in with Elon Musk in 2022, and how Donald Trump’s second term will influence media leaders like Zuckerberg and Bezos.
Be sure to follow Nayeema’s new show, Smart Girl Dumb Questions, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your content!
Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
--------
42:04
How Technology Will Shape Media in 2025, with Jessica Lessin
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcased an array of new gadgets, screens, and robots – but will any of them impact how and what we consume? Or will the real changes come from Washington, where the big tech companies from Meta to Amazon seem to be targeting their attention? To discuss all the ways that tech and tech leaders will impact the media industry this year and beyond, Ben and Max talk to Jessica Lessin, founder and CEO of The Information. And Max hits the ground running with his first episode as co-host, as Taniacs rejoice.
Nayeema Nation: Be sure to follow Nayeema’s new show, Smart Girl Dumb Questions, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your content!
Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani
If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
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.
Ireland