Stephen A. Smith

I think we're headed back into a moment of consolidation basically and that there's going to be a recentralization of audiences and of content and that like some poor hapless congressional candidate is going to spend 300 hours talking to podcasts nobody listens to, to no discernible effect.

I think we're headed back into a moment of consolidation basically and that there's going to be a recentralization of audiences and of content and that like some poor hapless congressional candidate is going to spend 300 hours talking to podcasts nobody listens to, to no discernible effect.

But also the Trump years have, I mean, the consolidation of power in Washington is also really new in media, right? Like the extent to which media executives are obsessed with what the administration can do to hurt them. And it's true across business. We're hosting this huge World Economic Summit here in April.

But also the Trump years have, I mean, the consolidation of power in Washington is also really new in media, right? Like the extent to which media executives are obsessed with what the administration can do to hurt them. And it's true across business. We're hosting this huge World Economic Summit here in April.

And just the appetite of CEOs in America to get to Washington to figure out what is going on is really new.

And just the appetite of CEOs in America to get to Washington to figure out what is going on is really new.

Say a little bit more about moving back to a more centralized media. I assume you don't mean ideologically. What do you mean by that?

Say a little bit more about moving back to a more centralized media. I assume you don't mean ideologically. What do you mean by that?

Oh, just, you know, I mean, it was technological. If you needed, for the late 20th century, you needed a broadcast tower or a printing press if you wanted to reach a lot of people. And not that many people had them. Spectrum was regulated. And so, like, you really had this very, I mean, for technological reasons, fundamentally. There were, as you said, about distribution.

Oh, just, you know, I mean, it was technological. If you needed, for the late 20th century, you needed a broadcast tower or a printing press if you wanted to reach a lot of people. And not that many people had them. Spectrum was regulated. And so, like, you really had this very, I mean, for technological reasons, fundamentally. There were, as you said, about distribution.

The system was meant, and then the business incentives of those were to sell mattresses to Republicans and to Democrats. And Often that led to something that we romanticize, actually, a kind of so centrist media, but it also did produce this kind of false consensus around Iraq, which, as you say, is part of why everybody lost trust in that kind of media.

The system was meant, and then the business incentives of those were to sell mattresses to Republicans and to Democrats. And Often that led to something that we romanticize, actually, a kind of so centrist media, but it also did produce this kind of false consensus around Iraq, which, as you say, is part of why everybody lost trust in that kind of media.

But the fundamental change was technological, the splint in the fact that you didn't need these broadcast towers anymore. And so I just think it's hard to imagine going back to that. And, you know, there are, like, we definitely see for readers, part of the value is, and I think you do this too, like, we can read everything so you don't have to and go out into the,

But the fundamental change was technological, the splint in the fact that you didn't need these broadcast towers anymore. And so I just think it's hard to imagine going back to that. And, you know, there are, like, we definitely see for readers, part of the value is, and I think you do this too, like, we can read everything so you don't have to and go out into the,

Put on the hazmat suit and go out into social media and find the interesting stuff, some of which is on weird sub stacks and right wing podcasts and some of which is in the New York Times. And it's this very disorienting moment to be a media consumer.

Put on the hazmat suit and go out into social media and find the interesting stuff, some of which is on weird sub stacks and right wing podcasts and some of which is in the New York Times. And it's this very disorienting moment to be a media consumer.

Yeah, that's one of the things that I think with like my media business head on is that the. One of the places where there is opportunity is basically curation. Yeah. And that's at Semaphore. That's so much of what we do. And you have to build trust with the audience has to trust you.

Yeah, that's one of the things that I think with like my media business head on is that the. One of the places where there is opportunity is basically curation. Yeah. And that's at Semaphore. That's so much of what we do. And you have to build trust with the audience has to trust you.

And that is like for better or for worse, that trust is, you know, you can build brand trust as I'm sure as you're trying to do at Semaphore, but it's often with people. With individuals. Totally. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

And that is like for better or for worse, that trust is, you know, you can build brand trust as I'm sure as you're trying to do at Semaphore, but it's often with people. With individuals. Totally. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.