Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

On Monday, Carlos Watson, the founder of Ozy Media, was sentenced to nearly 10 years – 116 months – in prison for fraud. Today, in Ben’s first extensive conversation about it since Watson’s arrest, he and Nayeema discuss Ozy, the scandal, and what it reveals about the broader digital media and advertising business. They bring on Madison and Wall analyst and former GroupM Global President for Business Intelligence, Brian Wieser, to talk about why marketers and investors were duped by Watson, what changed in the aftermath, and what the next digital media scam might be. After the conversation, Max Tani joins them to debrief. If you want more on the Ozy story, check out the three-part series, “The Unraveling of Ozy Media” from CJR’s The Kicker. And for more from Brian Wieser, check out Madison and Wall’s podcast and newsletter. NOTE: We’ll be off next week – but stay tuned for our next episode (and some exciting news) on January 3rd, 2025. If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/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, and their newsletter, The Publish Press. If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: 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 Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on instagram.com/nayeemaraza Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: 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 and nayeema@semafor.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema, @maxwelltani or on instagram.com/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

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 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

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 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 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 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