Best Semafor Podcasts (2025)

1
Is journalism bad for The New York Times’ business? with CEO Meredith Kopit Levien 43:23

3d ago43:23

43:23

The New York Times has weathered incredible changes in the media industry throughout its 174 years – and it’s managed to stay on top through the recent shift to digital, topping podcast charts and becoming a daily app for games and cooking. This week, live from the Cannes Lions festival, Ben and Max are joined by CEO Meredith Kopit Levien to talk a…

1
On the hunt for media optimism, with Semafor’s Ben Smith and The Rebooting’s Brian Morrissey 30:22

11d ago30:22

30:22

Here’s one where we try to do two things at once: Have a convo about green shoots in media with two smart guys who know media really well — Semafor’s Ben Smith and The Rebooting’s Brian Morrissey. Try to find new audiences for our respective podcasts, by cutting up that conversation into 3 parts, and distributing those parts to our respective feeds…

1
Where Trump-Musk bromance goes from here, with Semafor’s Ben Smith 19:43

11d ago19:43

19:43

It was an extraordinary public fight between two billionaires—President Donald Trump, the world’s most powerful man, and Elon Musk, the world’s richest. On a special bonus episode of the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Semafor co-founder and editor-in-chief Ben Smith to talk about Trump and Musk’s messy breakup, what led to the expl…

1
Molly Jong-Fast on her Bestselling Memoir! 47:15

1h ago47:15

47:15

We are joined by Molly Jong-Fast this week to discuss her new book, “How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir.” We've had Molly on the podcast many times, but you've never heard her like this! She discusses growing up in the shadow of her mother, feminist icon Erica Jong, and their relationship over the years. Molly shares stories of her mother…

1
Why did Apple ice out the most famous Apple blogger? 1:08:48

4d ago1:08:48

1:08:48

If you want smart, nuanced insight into Apple’s products and would-be products, you turn to John Gruber, who’s been blogging about this stuff for more than two decades at his Daring Fireball site. So in March, when Gruber announced that Something is Rotten in the State of Cupertino — focusing on Apple’s botched plans to imbue its ailing Siri servic…

1
Heather McGhee on Trump’s Wars on DEI and Immigration 47:59

7d ago47:59

47:59

The Trump administration is waging war on DEI. But what does that mean? We ask one of our favorite guests, Heather McGhee, to break down how and why DEI has become such a focus for Trump and his allies. Heather wrote the groundbreaking book “The Sum of Us” and is an expert in economic and social policy. She explains that diversity is the backbone o…

1
Trump's showdown with the courts with Yale Law School's Emily Bazelon 29:08

8d ago29:08

29:08

President Trump has never been shy about his revolutionary ambitions. In his second term, he’s moved aggressively to consolidate power within the executive branch—signing more than 150 executive orders in just over 150 days, sidelining Congress, and pressuring the institutions that were designed to check his authority. His supporters call it common…

1
Professional optimist Cleo Abram on tech’s bright future 45:24

10d ago45:24

45:24

Cleo Abram left Vox and started her YouTube show, Huge If True, 3 years ago. Since then, the channel has grown to nearly 6 million subscribers and she’s become one of the most important tech journalists in the world. This week, Ben and Max talk to Cleo about why she started an optimistic show in an age of pessimism, the time she got space-sick in z…

1
The Great Rebundling — With Peter Kafka and Brian Morrissey 27:51

11d ago27:51

27:51

The media industry has spent the last decade talking about its own decline — but where is it actually headed? This week on Mixed Signals, Ben kicks off a special three-part crossover with Peter Kafka of Channels and Brian Morrissey of The Rebooting. In part one of the conversation, the three discuss the future of media bundles, why everyone seems t…

1
Scott Frank on Netflix, the future of Hollywood, and Dept. Q 47:42

11d ago47:42

47:42

Scott Frank used to write great movies, like “Out of Sight.” Now he’s a Netflix guy, and a super successful one: he made “Godless,” a horses-and-everything Western for the streamer, then had a pandemic-era phenomenon with “The Queen’s Gambit.” Now he’s back with “Dept. Q”, his take on the British mystery genre. You can find that one on Netflix’s to…

1
YouTube Sensation David Pakman on The Big, Beautiful Bill and More! 40:06

15d ago40:06

40:06

First time guest David Pakman joins us for this week's show! David is a political commentator and hosts one of the most watched independent progressive programs in the country. With over 3 million YouTube subscribers, David spreads truth and commentary on the devastating impact Donald Trump is having on our country. Al and David kick around news ou…

1
Taiwan's strategy for countering a Chinese invasion, with Bonny Lin of CSIS 32:26

15d ago32:26

32:26

On this week’s GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, for a look at one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world: the Taiwan Strait. China has been conducting drills around Taiwan for years, but since the current pro-independence pre…

1
Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons on how food ate media 35:18

17d ago35:18

35:18

Top Chef, which is airing its 22nd season finale next week, has been shaping how we think and talk about food for the past 2 decades. This week, Ben and Max talk to Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, longtime judges since the first season, about how the show influenced the restaurant industry, how food media has changed, and why the show has gotten ni…

1
Bluesky Wasn’t Supposed to be a Twitter Rival. Now It Is. 38:01

19d ago38:01

38:01

I admit it: I most definitely rolled my eyes in 2019, when Twitter announced vague plans to build an "open and decentralized standard for social media". At the time I didn't really understand what then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was trying to do — or why the head of a social media company with plenty of problems was messing around with plans to create…

1
Cultivating a climate of truth | Mike Berners-Lee 43:15

19d ago43:15

43:15

In this episode of Climate Positive, host Gil Jenkins sits down with Mike Berners-Lee—author, professor, and leading expert on sustainability—to explore the central message of his latest book, "A Climate of Truth." In a world spiraling deeper into climate, ecological, and social crises, Mike argues that the most powerful lever we have isn’t new tec…

1
George Packer on Vice President JD Vance 33:17

22d ago33:17

33:17

JD Vance has had an unorthodox rise to power. After a troubled childhood, he joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, became a best-selling author, and then won a seat in the U.S. Senate. And now, at only 40, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." We’re joined by …

1
Pope Leo XIV's historic opportunity, with Father James Martin 30:41

22d ago30:41

30:41

Ian Bremmer sits down with Jesuit priest and bestselling author Father James Martin to discuss the unprecedented election of Pope Leo XIV—the first-ever (North) American Pope—and what his leadership could mean for the Catholic Church, American politics, and a divided, secular world. Known for his humility and spiritual depth, Pope Leo has a chance …

1
Adam Friedland on comedy, TV, and whether he’s the Joe Rogan of the left 34:15

24d ago34:15

34:15

Adam Friedland represents a new kind of comedian—one who rose up through podcasting and now hosts a late night-style weekly interview show… on YouTube. This week, Ben and Max bring on the comedian to talk about why he’s reviving a 1960s Dick Cavett-style talk show for the Internet, if podcasts have become too dumb, and whether he’s the long anticip…

1
How to Reinvent a Magazine, with Wired’s Katie Drummond 51:58

25d ago51:58

51:58

Today we’re talking about how you take a media property that’s been around for a long time, and find a way to bring in new eyeballs — and new revenue. That property is Wired — the place that told you about the internet before the internet even existed — and the person who’s reviving it is Katie Drummond, who has been running the property for a coup…

1
225: BEST OF: Ed Shelleby on Being My Senate Communications Director 49:30

29d ago49:30

49:30

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Al’s former Senate Communications Director, Ed Shelleby, to relive their time working together. Ed tells tales of him TRYING to manage Al's comedic impulses in serious situations, but also talks about the great work they accomplished together. Ed shares several behind-the-scenes stories incl…

1
Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin on explaining the world — and podcasting with your ex 39:48

1M ago39:48

39:48

Christiane Amanpour has been on the front lines of global media since the 80s, while her ex-husband, Jamie Rubin, held top State Department jobs in the Clinton and Biden administrations. Now, with Jamie freshly out of the White House, they’ve come back together to make a podcast. This week, Ben and Max bring on the divorced couple to talk about why…

1
Meta's Adam Mosseri explains how Instagram really works - and how he wants to build Threads 1:02:46

1M ago1:02:46

1:02:46

Adam Mosseri's official title is head of Instagram, Meta's massive photo and video app. He also runs Threads, the Twitter clone the company launched two years ago. Unofficially, he's become one of Meta's chief explainers, frequently jumping on social media to defend and proselytize on behalf of his employer. So when I got a chance to interview Moss…

1
224: Michael Lewis on Amazing Government Workers 32:10

1M ago32:10

32:10

From the start of Donald Trump's second term, he's been eager to cut the federal workforce. So, Elon Musk headed the newly minted DOGE to begin slashing tens of thousands of jobs. Our friend, Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short" and, most recently, "Who is Government?," joins us to share stories of public servants who not only improved this cou…

1
OpenAI whistleblower Daniel Kokotajlo on superintelligence and existential risk of AI 38:16

1M ago38:16

38:16

How much could our relationship with technology change by 2027? In the last few years, new artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek have transformed how we think about work, creativity, even intelligence itself. But tech experts are ringing alarm bells that powerful new AI systems that rival human intelligence are being developed fas…

1
'Substack isn’t cool,' gatekeepers are, and other strong opinions from tastemaker Chris Black 54:03

1M ago54:03

54:03

Chris Black has gone from managing a pop-punk band to becoming a fashion-world insider, podcast host, and brand consultant for labels like J. Crew and Thom Browne. This week, Ben and Max bring on the How Long Gone co-host to talk about building a cult hit podcast, the surprising comeback of media gatekeepers in 2025, and why he still believes in th…

1
How Apple trapped itself in China 1:11:32

1M ago1:11:32

1:11:32

The iPhone you’re reading this on was made in China. For a long time, that fact was a huge part of Apple’s success story: Working hand-in-hand, Apple and China built a sophisticated supply chain that let Apple manufacture very complicated technology at an enormous scale. Now that relationship seems like Apple’s achilles heel, says Patrick McGee. Mc…

1
223: Dahlia Lithwick on the Courts vs. Trump 44:13

1M ago44:13

44:13

We're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, award-winning journalist, author, and host of the Amicus podcast. Dahlia looks at the judicial pushback against the Trump administration, as the Courts have stood up to Trump's policies on birthright citizenship and deportation. We also discuss Trump’s targeting of law firms. The Supreme Court notably ruled 9-0 that…

1
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen on why he went to El Salvador and what's next 27:12

1M ago27:12

27:12

In the latest episode of the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to unpack what he calls a constitutional crisis unfolding under the Trump administration. At the center of the conversation is the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father of three who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador and re…

1
Clay Travis on mixing sports and politics, his ‘pudding strike,’ and the billion-dollar bet on sports gambling 57:39

1M ago57:39

57:39

Clay Travis started his career with a stunt on his blog involving a pudding strike and NFL streaming rights. From roots in new media, he founded OutKick, a conservative sports and politics site that Fox Corp acquired in 2021. This week, Ben and Max bring on the outspoken media entrepreneur to discuss how sports and conservative politics have become…

1
Ian Rogers tells me I need a crypto wallet 1:08:41

2M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

I wanted to talk to Ian Rogers about his fascinating career. He wanted to talk to me about Ledger, the crypto wallet company he’s working at now. So we did both things. Background: Rogers was an important figure in the digital music business, back when the music business was being fundamentally reshaped by digital. He helped the Beastie Boys get on…

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