Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

On this week’s episode of Mixed Signals, Max and Ben chat with Bluesky COO Rose Wang about how the social media platform is rethinking social media through a more decentralized model. They discuss its rapid growth, reputation as a politically charged space, and the challenge of turning a utopian vision into a real business.

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Tech journalist Joanna Stern joins Mixed Signals to discuss leaving The Wall Street Journal after more than a decade to launch her own venture, “New Things,” and what it really takes to bet on yourself in today’s media landscape. Max and Ben ask how she’s using AI as a “co-founder,” and what she learned from immersing herself in artificial intelligence for her new book, I Am Not a Robot.

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For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltaniIf you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

Former Sony Entertainment CEO and current Snap Inc. Chairman Michael Lynton joins Mixed Signals to revisit the decision that led to one of the most consequential hacks in history: approving The Interview, the Seth Rogen–James Franco comedy that provoked a cyberattack from North Korea. Max and Ben ask why he broke his own greenlight process, and how he managed the fallout as private emails were leaked and careers were upended. They also dive into Lynton’s new book with Josh Steiner, and why he was frustrated by the US federal government’s inaction on its own TikTok ban.

Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com.

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltaniIf you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

Douglas Scott Wreden and Aiden McCaig of the Lemonade Stand podcast join Ben and Max to explain how they turned gaming audiences into a loyal following for business, tech, and politics—and what it says about the future of media.

Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

If you have a tip or a comment, please email us [email protected]

Introducing The CEO Signal, a new show from SEMAFOR hosted by Penny Pritzker and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.

In each episode, they sit down with global CEOs to discuss the moments of judgment that define leadership — how they interpret the forces shaping their industries, weigh difficult choices, and make decisions when the stakes are high.

The CEO Signal builds on the SEMAFOR's CEO Signal newsletter, the briefing read by many of the world’s leading chief executives, bringing those insights into direct conversations about leadership, strategy, and the forces shaping the global economy.

Watch the full conversations on The CEO Signal with Penny Pritzker and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.