Ben Smith
@semaforben.bsky.social
Semafor EIC, author of "Traffic" out May 2
Reposted by Ben Smith
Good conversation — Thanks, @semaforben.bsky.social @maxtani.bsky.social
youtube.com/watch?v=uZvq...
youtube.com/watch?v=uZvq...
Ken Burns On The Future Of PBS, The New Media Age, & Why Documentaries Will Outlast TikTok
YouTube video by Semafor
youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Good conversation — Thanks, @semaforben.bsky.social @maxtani.bsky.social
youtube.com/watch?v=uZvq...
youtube.com/watch?v=uZvq...
At our media summit, I asked @BrendanCarrFCC about the l view that the greatest threat to free speech is him -- the government. He disagreed and said it was the social media companies.
At 5:30 here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB64...
At 5:30 here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB64...
View from FCC | Innovating to Restore Trust in News
YouTube video by Semafor Events
www.youtube.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:20 PM
At our media summit, I asked @BrendanCarrFCC about the l view that the greatest threat to free speech is him -- the government. He disagreed and said it was the social media companies.
At 5:30 here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB64...
At 5:30 here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB64...
Big job for an ambitious editor job-boards.greenhouse.io/semafor/jobs...
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
New York City or Washington, D.C.
job-boards.greenhouse.io
September 2, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Big job for an ambitious editor job-boards.greenhouse.io/semafor/jobs...
Reposted by Ben Smith
SCOOP: A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers, raising questions about ethics in the independent media space
A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers
An initiative aimed at boosting Democrats online offers influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret—and agree to restrictions on their content.
www.wired.com
August 27, 2025 at 4:16 PM
SCOOP: A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers, raising questions about ethics in the independent media space
Reposted by Ben Smith
"Oh, it's the worst industry in the history of industries."
@mcuban.bsky.social tells @maxtani.bsky.social and @semaforben.bsky.social how he views the current media landscape, and why he doesn't invest much in the space these days.
@mcuban.bsky.social tells @maxtani.bsky.social and @semaforben.bsky.social how he views the current media landscape, and why he doesn't invest much in the space these days.
August 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM
"Oh, it's the worst industry in the history of industries."
@mcuban.bsky.social tells @maxtani.bsky.social and @semaforben.bsky.social how he views the current media landscape, and why he doesn't invest much in the space these days.
@mcuban.bsky.social tells @maxtani.bsky.social and @semaforben.bsky.social how he views the current media landscape, and why he doesn't invest much in the space these days.
Pretty remarkable: The New York Post and others are currently running with a document from the (strange and fascinating) Durham Annex that the Durham Annex (a few pages later) says is a Russian fake, all in the broader interest of debunking "Russiagate" nypost.com/2025/07/31/u...
Read the documents that prove Hillary Clinton OK’d plan to ‘smear’ Trump with Russia collusion
Special counsel John Durham uncovered the information during a multi-year probe into intelligence activities during the 2016 election.
nypost.com
July 31, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Pretty remarkable: The New York Post and others are currently running with a document from the (strange and fascinating) Durham Annex that the Durham Annex (a few pages later) says is a Russian fake, all in the broader interest of debunking "Russiagate" nypost.com/2025/07/31/u...
I do treasure this letter Tom Lehrer, who just died 60 years after he vanished from the stage, sent me when I tried to write about him www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/tom...
July 27, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I do treasure this letter Tom Lehrer, who just died 60 years after he vanished from the stage, sent me when I tried to write about him www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/tom...
Reposted by Ben Smith
New: Palantir's CTO and several early employees are raising money to launch Founders Films, a film and TV production studio that aims to "say yes to projects about American exceptionalism, name America’s enemies, back artists unconditionally, take risk on novel IP.” www.semafor.com/article/07/2...
July 21, 2025 at 1:37 PM
New: Palantir's CTO and several early employees are raising money to launch Founders Films, a film and TV production studio that aims to "say yes to projects about American exceptionalism, name America’s enemies, back artists unconditionally, take risk on novel IP.” www.semafor.com/article/07/2...
An NYC status update
June 26, 2025 at 9:44 AM
An NYC status update
Reposted by Ben Smith
The panicky elites dumping millions into last-minute attack ads against @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social should have been investing time and money to recruit, educate, and encourage young leaders. My latest in @nymag.com
The Political Class Is Responsible for the Man They’re Trying to Stop
He’s what happens when the status quo fails.
nymag.com
June 23, 2025 at 1:01 PM
The panicky elites dumping millions into last-minute attack ads against @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social should have been investing time and money to recruit, educate, and encourage young leaders. My latest in @nymag.com
Reposted by Ben Smith
Great point from @semaforben.bsky.social about how - when the news goes crazy - your most senior sources are just scratching their heads, like the rest of us.
I remember it from the Brexit wars - cabinet ministers were happy to chat because no one had a clue what would happen.
I remember it from the Brexit wars - cabinet ministers were happy to chat because no one had a clue what would happen.
June 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Great point from @semaforben.bsky.social about how - when the news goes crazy - your most senior sources are just scratching their heads, like the rest of us.
I remember it from the Brexit wars - cabinet ministers were happy to chat because no one had a clue what would happen.
I remember it from the Brexit wars - cabinet ministers were happy to chat because no one had a clue what would happen.
Reposted by Ben Smith
The most plugged-in people in Washington are reading the same tweets you are, @semaforben.bsky.social writes.
Politics, when nothing’s behind the scenes
The most plugged-in people in Washington are reading the same tweets you are.
www.semafor.com
June 5, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The most plugged-in people in Washington are reading the same tweets you are, @semaforben.bsky.social writes.
Knives out for Musk allies www.semafor.com/article/06/0...
Musk’s administration allies become targets
Among the figures caught in a still-simmering clash between the MAGA right and tech right is AI and crypto czar David Sacks.
www.semafor.com
June 9, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Knives out for Musk allies www.semafor.com/article/06/0...
.@maxwelltani scoop: CA State Senators @SenJoshBecker & @SenatorUmberg are opening an inquiry into Paramount's talks with Trump, and inviting Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon to testify www.semafor.com/article/05/3...
California opens inquiry into Paramount and Trump
The California Senate’s move follows a letter from three US senators to the embattled media company.
www.semafor.com
May 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
.@maxwelltani scoop: CA State Senators @SenJoshBecker & @SenatorUmberg are opening an inquiry into Paramount's talks with Trump, and inviting Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon to testify www.semafor.com/article/05/3...
Reality continuing to disintegrate around the edges per @daveweigel.bsky.social @kadiagoba.bsky.social
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
May 29, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Reality continuing to disintegrate around the edges per @daveweigel.bsky.social @kadiagoba.bsky.social
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
Reposted by Ben Smith
Scoop: The top contributor to X's Community Notes is a security startup that set up an automated process to flag crypto scam tweets. It's posted 52,000 times!
Read the remarkable details from @mantzarlis.com on @indicator.media:
indicator.media/p/the-top-co...
Read the remarkable details from @mantzarlis.com on @indicator.media:
indicator.media/p/the-top-co...
The top Community Notes contributor is...an antivirus startup?
I thought someone was gaming X’s crowdsourced moderation; instead, they appear to be helping clean up the platform’s mess for free.
indicator.media
May 27, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Scoop: The top contributor to X's Community Notes is a security startup that set up an automated process to flag crypto scam tweets. It's posted 52,000 times!
Read the remarkable details from @mantzarlis.com on @indicator.media:
indicator.media/p/the-top-co...
Read the remarkable details from @mantzarlis.com on @indicator.media:
indicator.media/p/the-top-co...
Reposted by Ben Smith
🟡 NEW: Inside the identity crisis in anti-woke media
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
Inside the identity crisis in anti-woke media
Donald Trump has taken their positions on many of their favored issues, but is pursuing their goals with the illiberal tactics they’d abhorred.
www.semafor.com
May 26, 2025 at 12:57 AM
🟡 NEW: Inside the identity crisis in anti-woke media
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
www.semafor.com/article/05/2...
Reposted by Ben Smith
that's right
"I spoke with a few congressional staffers who said that they had tried using Bluesky as an alternative to Twitter after Twitter was purchased by Elon Musk, but they gave up after their bosses kept getting yelled at by Democratic users angry at their impotence" www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
Semafor Media: 🟡 Anti-woke identity crisis | Semafor
In today’s edition: How a slice of the media ecosystem is adapting to Trump in power.
www.semafor.com
May 26, 2025 at 2:44 AM
that's right
Reposted by Ben Smith
"I spoke with a few congressional staffers who said that they had tried using Bluesky as an alternative to Twitter after Twitter was purchased by Elon Musk, but they gave up after their bosses kept getting yelled at by Democratic users angry at their impotence" www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
Semafor Media: 🟡 Anti-woke identity crisis | Semafor
In today’s edition: How a slice of the media ecosystem is adapting to Trump in power.
www.semafor.com
May 26, 2025 at 2:24 AM
"I spoke with a few congressional staffers who said that they had tried using Bluesky as an alternative to Twitter after Twitter was purchased by Elon Musk, but they gave up after their bosses kept getting yelled at by Democratic users angry at their impotence" www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
Reposted by Ben Smith
Fascinating @semaforben.bsky.social piece on the Silicon Valley-led group chats that have shaped a lot of tech and political discourse over the past few years - and continue to. www.semafor.com/article/04/2...
April 28, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Fascinating @semaforben.bsky.social piece on the Silicon Valley-led group chats that have shaped a lot of tech and political discourse over the past few years - and continue to. www.semafor.com/article/04/2...
Reposted by Ben Smith
I spoke with @semaforben.bsky.social about his big @semafor.com piece on Silicon Valley's group chats for the Techmeme Ride Home podcast today. Episode dropping around noon eastern. youtu.be/Stn7MnUlZQE
Semafor's Ben Smith On His Piece About Silicon Valley's Group Chats
YouTube video by Techmeme Ride Home Podcast
youtu.be
April 28, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I spoke with @semaforben.bsky.social about his big @semafor.com piece on Silicon Valley's group chats for the Techmeme Ride Home podcast today. Episode dropping around noon eastern. youtu.be/Stn7MnUlZQE
Reposted by Ben Smith
Loved chatting with @semaforben.bsky.social about our favorite topic—all things media!
#semafor #meghanmarkle
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/z...
#semafor #meghanmarkle
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/z...
Zeitgeist Genius Tina Brown on Meghan Markle, Vanity Fair and Whether We Still Need Editors
Podcast Episode · Mixed Signals from Semafor Media · 04/18/2025 · 47m
podcasts.apple.com
April 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Loved chatting with @semaforben.bsky.social about our favorite topic—all things media!
#semafor #meghanmarkle
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/z...
#semafor #meghanmarkle
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/z...
Re the latest Pentagon purge, there was certainly some anonymous and specific national security grousing about cost and purpose of Yemen attack.
t.co/k1hkz0LdHE
t.co/k1hkz0LdHE
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/04/04/politics/cost-us-military-houthis-limited-impact
t.co
April 20, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Re the latest Pentagon purge, there was certainly some anonymous and specific national security grousing about cost and purpose of Yemen attack.
t.co/k1hkz0LdHE
t.co/k1hkz0LdHE
Reposted by Ben Smith
This is a fascinating interview, on Semafor's podcast. Listening to Ben is fun.
Jubilee Media's founder and CEO Jason Y. Lee says Pete Buttigieg's team was given "some input" on his viral YouTube appearance and "there was a lot that was left on the cutting room floor."
www.semafor.com/article/04/1...
www.semafor.com/article/04/1...
April 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
This is a fascinating interview, on Semafor's podcast. Listening to Ben is fun.