In a YouTube landscape filled with podcasts and talking heads, Jubilee Media’s wild debate videos stand apart: A doctor debates 20 anti-vaxxers, Ben Shapiro debates 25 liberals, Pete Buttigieg debates 25 conservatives. But are these viral videos bringing a divided America back together or are they just profiting off of polarization? This week, Ben and Max bring on Jubilee’s founder and CEO, Jason Y. Lee, to talk about his vision for “radical empathy” for quite extreme views and how even dumb debates – between flat earthers and “round earthers,” for one – can be productive. They also discuss why the Biden White House censored parts of their video with Pete Buttigieg and the media lessons Democrats can learn for the next election. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media">https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media</a>  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: <a href="https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@semaforben</a>, <a href="https://x.com/maxwelltani">@maxwelltani</a> If you have a tip or a comment, please email us <a href="mailto:mixedsignals@semafor.com">mixedsignals@semafor.com</a>

<description>In a YouTube landscape filled with podcasts and talking heads, Jubilee Media’s wild debate videos stand apart: A doctor debates 20 anti-vaxxers, Ben Shapiro debates 25 liberals, Pete Buttigieg debates 25 conservatives. But are these viral videos bringing a divided America back together or are they just profiting off of polarization? This week, Ben and Max bring on Jubilee’s founder and CEO, Jason Y. Lee, to talk about his vision for “radical empathy” for quite extreme views and how even dumb debates – between flat earthers and “round earthers,” for one – can be productive. They also discuss why the Biden White House censored parts of their video with Pete Buttigieg and the media lessons Democrats can learn for the next election.

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</description>

In a YouTube landscape filled with podcasts and talking heads, Jubilee Media’s wild debate videos stand apart: A doctor debates 20 anti-vaxxers, Ben Shapiro debates 25 liberals, Pete Buttigieg debates 25 conservatives. But are these viral videos bringing a divided America back together or are they just profiting off of polarization? This week, Ben and Max bring on Jubilee’s founder and CEO, Jason Y. Lee, to talk about his vision for “radical empathy” for quite extreme views and how even dumb debates – between flat earthers and “round earthers,” for one – can be productive. They also discuss why the Biden White House censored parts of their video with Pete Buttigieg and the media lessons Democrats can learn for the next election.

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

Can YouTube Debates Bring America Back Together? with Jubilee’s Jason Y. Lee

Since the 80s, Piers Morgan has ridden massive changes in the media industry, jumping from print to cable to, more recently, YouTube. This week on Mixed Signals, the TV star joins Ben and (subbing in for Max) Semafor’s head of comms, Meera Pattni, to discuss how he’s building his Uncensored brand, what he likes about being a YouTuber, and if he misses anything about legacy media. They also talk about how some journalists take themselves too seriously, why having fun is important even in news media, and his views on Trump’s term so far. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media">https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media</a>  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com and visit their YouTube channel for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOt5IPKe2es&amp;t=5s">latest interview</a> with Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce. Find us on X: <a href="https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@semaforben</a>, <a href="https://x.com/maxwelltani">@maxwelltani</a>, <a href="https://x.com/meerapattni?lang=en">@meerapattni</a> If you have a tip or a comment, please email us <a href="mailto:mixedsignals@semafor.com">mixedsignals@semafor.com</a>

<description>Since the 80s, Piers Morgan has ridden massive changes in the media industry, jumping from print to cable to, more recently, YouTube. This week on Mixed Signals, the TV star joins Ben and (subbing in for Max) Semafor’s head of comms, Meera Pattni, to discuss how he’s building his Uncensored brand, what he likes about being a YouTuber, and if he misses anything about legacy media. They also talk about how some journalists take themselves too seriously, why having fun is important even in news media, and his views on Trump’s term so far.

Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com and visit their YouTube channel for the latest interview with Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce.

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani, @meerapattni

If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com</description>

Since the 80s, Piers Morgan has ridden massive changes in the media industry, jumping from print to cable to, more recently, YouTube. This week on Mixed Signals, the TV star joins Ben and (subbing in for Max) Semafor’s head of comms, Meera Pattni, to discuss how he’s building his Uncensored brand, what he likes about being a YouTuber, and if he misses anything about legacy media. They also talk about how some journalists take themselves too seriously, why having fun is important even in news media, and his views on Trump’s term so far.

Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com and visit their YouTube channel for the latest interview with Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce.

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani, @meerapattni

If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com

Piers Morgan On Going Independent, Meghan Markle, and Why He Likes Pouring Gasoline On the Fire

Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker, more or less disappeared from the Internet in 2017, after a public legal battle with Hulk Hogan (backed by Peter Thiel) resulted in the site being shut down… That is until earlier this month, when Denton suddenly <a href="https://x.com/futurakiado">reappeared on X</a>, tweeting over 200 times over the course of days. In his first podcast appearance since his recent return, Ben and Max talk to the former digital media mogul about why he’s come back after almost a decade of relative anonymity and what he makes of this current media moment. They also discuss his new AI venture for journalism, why he’s short Tesla and Elon Musk, long China, and how he looks back on his Gawker days today. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media">https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media</a>  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: <a href="https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@semaforben</a>, <a href="https://x.com/maxwelltani">@maxwelltani</a> If you have a tip or a comment, please email us <a href="mailto:mixedsignals@semafor.com">mixedsignals@semafor.com</a>

<description>Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker, more or less disappeared from the Internet in 2017, after a public legal battle with Hulk Hogan (backed by Peter Thiel) resulted in the site being shut down… That is until earlier this month, when Denton suddenly reappeared on X, tweeting over 200 times over the course of days. In his first podcast appearance since his recent return, Ben and Max talk to the former digital media mogul about why he’s come back after almost a decade of relative anonymity and what he makes of this current media moment. They also discuss his new AI venture for journalism, why he’s short Tesla and Elon Musk, long China, and how he looks back on his Gawker days today.

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</description>

Why the Gawker founder tweeted 230 times last week, after disappearing from public life for almost a decade.

Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker, more or less disappeared from the Internet in 2017, after a public legal battle with Hulk Hogan (backed by Peter Thiel) resulted in the site being shut down… That is until earlier this month, when Denton suddenly reappeared on X, tweeting over 200 times over the course of days. In his first podcast appearance since his recent return, Ben and Max talk to the former digital media mogul about why he’s come back after almost a decade of relative anonymity and what he makes of this current media moment. They also discuss his new AI venture for journalism, why he’s short Tesla and Elon Musk, long China, and how he looks back on his Gawker days today.

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

Nick Denton’s Surprising Return, Courtesy of Elon Musk, Denmark, and Chinese Cars

YouTube is undeniably the dominant media platform of the moment, and it’s increasingly the go-to place for what used to be an audio-only medium: podcasts. Last month, the company announced that podcasts on YouTube rack up 1 billion viewers a month. This week, Ben and Max bring on CEO Neal Mohan to talk about how YouTube has become the epicenter of culture, how the company is thinking about podcasts and TV, and who Neal thinks its biggest competitor is. They also discuss why YouTube’s content policing guidelines have changed since 2020 and how he plans to manage their recent run-in with the FCC. Oh, and also some tips for how Mixed Signals can get our own YouTube numbers up. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media">https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media</a>  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: <a href="https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@semaforben</a>, <a href="https://x.com/maxwelltani">@maxwelltani</a> If you have a tip or a comment, please email us <a href="mailto:mixedsignals@semafor.com">mixedsignals@semafor.com</a>

<description>YouTube is undeniably the dominant media platform of the moment, and it’s increasingly the go-to place for what used to be an audio-only medium: podcasts. Last month, the company announced that podcasts on YouTube rack up 1 billion viewers a month. This week, Ben and Max bring on CEO Neal Mohan to talk about how YouTube has become the epicenter of culture, how the company is thinking about podcasts and TV, and who Neal thinks its biggest competitor is. They also discuss why YouTube’s content policing guidelines have changed since 2020 and how he plans to manage their recent run-in with the FCC. Oh, and also some tips for how Mixed Signals can get our own YouTube numbers up.

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</description>

YouTube’s dominance and what it means for podcasts, TV, and the future of media.

YouTube is undeniably the dominant media platform of the moment, and it’s increasingly the go-to place for what used to be an audio-only medium: podcasts. Last month, the company announced that podcasts on YouTube rack up 1 billion viewers a month. This week, Ben and Max bring on CEO Neal Mohan to talk about how YouTube has become the epicenter of culture, how the company is thinking about podcasts and TV, and who Neal thinks its biggest competitor is. They also discuss why YouTube’s content policing guidelines have changed since 2020 and how he plans to manage their recent run-in with the FCC. Oh, and also some tips for how Mixed Signals can get our own YouTube numbers up.

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

Secrets of YouTube with CEO Neal Mohan

In this moment of media fragmentation and the rise of niche communities, are there still ways to reach mass audiences? This week, Ben and Max bring on legendary marketing executive, Frank Cooper, who’s always been at the center of big cultural shifts from his time at Def Jam in the 90s, AOL in the 2000s, and BuzzFeed in the 2010s. Throughout his career, he’s also been seen as the culture translator for big corporations, as the CMO at PepsiCo and the CMO of Visa. They talk about Frank’s unique career, who and what he thinks still moves people in mass — like Post Malone at the Louvre — and what he makes of this particular moment in the culture. He also shares stories from his time working in hip hop, what he’s learned from LL Cool J, and how Snoop Dogg became the world’s most marketable star. Also: if you have feedback for the show and want to participate in a casual focus group, please email Ben at ben.smith@semafor.com. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media">https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media</a>  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: <a href="https://x.com/semaforben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@semaforben</a>, <a href="https://x.com/maxwelltani">@maxwelltani</a> If you have a tip or a comment, please email us <a href="mailto:mixedsignals@semafor.com">mixedsignals@semafor.com</a>

<description>In this moment of media fragmentation and the rise of niche communities, are there still ways to reach mass audiences? This week, Ben and Max bring on legendary marketing executive, Frank Cooper, who’s always been at the center of big cultural shifts from his time at Def Jam in the 90s, AOL in the 2000s, and BuzzFeed in the 2010s. Throughout his career, he’s also been seen as the culture translator for big corporations, as the CMO at PepsiCo and the CMO of Visa. They talk about Frank’s unique career, who and what he thinks still moves people in mass — like Post Malone at the Louvre — and what he makes of this particular moment in the culture. He also shares stories from his time working in hip hop, what he’s learned from LL Cool J, and how Snoop Dogg became the world’s most marketable star.

Also: if you have feedback for the show and want to participate in a casual focus group, please email Ben at ben.smith@semafor.com.

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</description>

Lessons from LL Cool J and Snoop Dogg, from Visa CMO Frank Cooper

In this moment of media fragmentation and the rise of niche communities, are there still ways to reach mass audiences? This week, Ben and Max bring on legendary marketing executive, Frank Cooper, who’s always been at the center of big cultural shifts from his time at Def Jam in the 90s, AOL in the 2000s, and BuzzFeed in the 2010s. Throughout his career, he’s also been seen as the culture translator for big corporations, as the CMO at PepsiCo and the CMO of Visa. They talk about Frank’s unique career, who and what he thinks still moves people in mass — like Post Malone at the Louvre — and what he makes of this particular moment in the culture. He also shares stories from his time working in hip hop, what he’s learned from LL Cool J, and how Snoop Dogg became the world’s most marketable star.

Also: if you have feedback for the show and want to participate in a casual focus group, please email Ben at ben.smith@semafor.com.

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

Does Mass Culture Still Matter? And How Snoop Dogg Mastered Commerce, with Frank Cooper

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.

Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

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