Stephen A. Smith

it's like i trust joe rogan to tell me what's happening i trust ezra klein to tell me what's happening i trust positive america whoever else and i mean you've done that a little bit with some of your reporters trying to lift them up like dave weigel like yeah no we definitely are building around expert reporters on key beats in a way that in the old days you would just you're all cogs in the dispensable cogs in the wall street journal machine and now if you're

it's like i trust joe rogan to tell me what's happening i trust ezra klein to tell me what's happening i trust positive america whoever else and i mean you've done that a little bit with some of your reporters trying to lift them up like dave weigel like yeah no we definitely are building around expert reporters on key beats in a way that in the old days you would just you're all cogs in the dispensable cogs in the wall street journal machine and now if you're

Liz Hoffman on Wall Street or Burgess Everett in the Senate. You trust a person. It's an interesting time to be in this business, for sure.

Liz Hoffman on Wall Street or Burgess Everett in the Senate. You trust a person. It's an interesting time to be in this business, for sure.

Speaking of that sort of curation role, I went back and read your first column as the New York Times media critic, which was claiming that your brand new employer, the New York Times, had grown so successful that it was bad for business. Since then, the New York Times has become even bigger, even better read, and its putative competitors have struggled mightily since then.

Speaking of that sort of curation role, I went back and read your first column as the New York Times media critic, which was claiming that your brand new employer, the New York Times, had grown so successful that it was bad for business. Since then, the New York Times has become even bigger, even better read, and its putative competitors have struggled mightily since then.

Washington Post, most notably. Wall Street Journal still does well, but has had layoffs recently. etc. And so, you know, where do you think the New York Times stands right now? Do you still believe it's bad for journalism?

Washington Post, most notably. Wall Street Journal still does well, but has had layoffs recently. etc. And so, you know, where do you think the New York Times stands right now? Do you still believe it's bad for journalism?

I mean, I actually think it's scary for the New York Times. Like, you don't want to be the sole strong independent outlet in a kind of democracy where rule of law is a little shaky. That's a bad place to be. And it would be healthier for the media ecosystem. Yeah, for sure.

I mean, I actually think it's scary for the New York Times. Like, you don't want to be the sole strong independent outlet in a kind of democracy where rule of law is a little shaky. That's a bad place to be. And it would be healthier for the media ecosystem. Yeah, for sure.

And it would be healthier for the media ecosystem and healthier for the Times and better for the leverage of journalists and their salary negotiations if there were lots of big competing outlets with somewhat different outlooks on the world. I mean, that's just a healthier system. And I don't know. I mean, I'm hopeful that

And it would be healthier for the media ecosystem and healthier for the Times and better for the leverage of journalists and their salary negotiations if there were lots of big competing outlets with somewhat different outlooks on the world. I mean, that's just a healthier system. And I don't know. I mean, I'm hopeful that

a couple of other legacy outlets, the Wall Street Journal, maybe CNN, could get their acts together, and that long, long-term places like the Washington Post can pull it out.

a couple of other legacy outlets, the Wall Street Journal, maybe CNN, could get their acts together, and that long, long-term places like the Washington Post can pull it out.

And then I do think there's a lot of... I mean, I do think that, again, if you go back to, like, if you ask people, if you ask your listeners, like, do you think this is all great and you're satisfied with what you're getting, or do you want new stuff? People really are hungry for new ways of getting information, for new voices, for...

And then I do think there's a lot of... I mean, I do think that, again, if you go back to, like, if you ask people, if you ask your listeners, like, do you think this is all great and you're satisfied with what you're getting, or do you want new stuff? People really are hungry for new ways of getting information, for new voices, for...

And somebody who will go out, as you say, and just like sort through all the lunacy for them. And so I think, I mean, I think there's, I mean, I think, you know, it's, we're in this moment of crazy transition and there'll be a bunch of new things too. But yeah, no, I do think, I mean, I think it's in no one's interest to have one absolutely dominant and defending company. Yeah.

And somebody who will go out, as you say, and just like sort through all the lunacy for them. And so I think, I mean, I think there's, I mean, I think, you know, it's, we're in this moment of crazy transition and there'll be a bunch of new things too. But yeah, no, I do think, I mean, I think it's in no one's interest to have one absolutely dominant and defending company. Yeah.

I sort of feel like the New York Times has become Netflix for news, where it's just, it's the place you go for every, it is replaced, sort of like the way Netflix has replaced television, right? You want. So does Netflix have taste, right?

I sort of feel like the New York Times has become Netflix for news, where it's just, it's the place you go for every, it is replaced, sort of like the way Netflix has replaced television, right? You want. So does Netflix have taste, right?