Stephen A. Smith
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Welcome to Pod Save America. I'm Dan Pfeiffer. This is our second Sunday show. These episodes are going to be coming out every other weekend and will give us hosts a chance to step back from the churn to have longer-form conversations about the big ideas and forces shaping news and politics. My guest today is Ben Smith, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the news site Semaphore.
Welcome to Pod Save America. I'm Dan Pfeiffer. This is our second Sunday show. These episodes are going to be coming out every other weekend and will give us hosts a chance to step back from the churn to have longer-form conversations about the big ideas and forces shaping news and politics. My guest today is Ben Smith, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the news site Semaphore.
Ben is a longtime reporter. He worked for Politico, was the editor of BuzzFeed News, and was the New York Times media critic. So he has a ton of experience covering the coverage. From the prominence of podcasters and influencers in the 2024 election to the way Trump is running roughshod over the media, it feels like we are at a critical moment for the role of the fourth estate.
Ben is a longtime reporter. He worked for Politico, was the editor of BuzzFeed News, and was the New York Times media critic. So he has a ton of experience covering the coverage. From the prominence of podcasters and influencers in the 2024 election to the way Trump is running roughshod over the media, it feels like we are at a critical moment for the role of the fourth estate.
That's why I wanted to bring Ben on to dig into the state of the American free press, what journalists need to do differently for Trump 2.0, and whether the right has finally won the war on the media. Ben Smith, welcome to Pod Save America. How are you doing?
That's why I wanted to bring Ben on to dig into the state of the American free press, what journalists need to do differently for Trump 2.0, and whether the right has finally won the war on the media. Ben Smith, welcome to Pod Save America. How are you doing?
Good. Thanks for having me, Dan. It's nice to see you. Absolutely. We've known each other for a very long time. I think we first met on a bus in Iowa in 2007.
Good. Thanks for having me, Dan. It's nice to see you. Absolutely. We've known each other for a very long time. I think we first met on a bus in Iowa in 2007.
And they were like, we have an adult here to take charge of you all. And it was you.
And they were like, we have an adult here to take charge of you all. And it was you.
And the adult, I think I was 29, 30 maybe at the time. So like a true adult. Yeah. But look, Trump's been in office for nearly three weeks. It has been a truly insane and intense three weeks. But we know that's part of his and Steve Bannon's flood the zone strategy. Bannon first described this approach in 2018.
And the adult, I think I was 29, 30 maybe at the time. So like a true adult. Yeah. But look, Trump's been in office for nearly three weeks. It has been a truly insane and intense three weeks. But we know that's part of his and Steve Bannon's flood the zone strategy. Bannon first described this approach in 2018.
He said his strategy for overcoming the media's opposition was to flood the zone with shit. For our listeners, let's take a listen to what he said on PBS's Frontline back then.
He said his strategy for overcoming the media's opposition was to flood the zone with shit. For our listeners, let's take a listen to what he said on PBS's Frontline back then.
It seems like a pretty accurate description of what at least the first couple of weeks of Trump 2.0 have looked like. How have you been covering Trump 2.0 and how have you tried to deal with the flood the zone strategy?
It seems like a pretty accurate description of what at least the first couple of weeks of Trump 2.0 have looked like. How have you been covering Trump 2.0 and how have you tried to deal with the flood the zone strategy?
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it is a very accurate description. And I mean, is the media dumb and lazy? Like often also accurate. But I think, you know, he thinks the notion that the opposition party is the media and that the world is totally mediated by the media and that we shape reality and decide what happens to me, like I don't really buy that.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it is a very accurate description. And I mean, is the media dumb and lazy? Like often also accurate. But I think, you know, he thinks the notion that the opposition party is the media and that the world is totally mediated by the media and that we shape reality and decide what happens to me, like I don't really buy that.