• D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG

Intelligence for the New World Economy

  • D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
Semafor Logo
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG


Derek Thompson on why everything is becoming television, and whether democracy can survive it

Nov 21, 2025, 2:55pm EST
Media
PostEmailWhatsapp
Title icon

The Scene

Listen to the latest episode of Mixed Signals here

Is television the final form of all media?

Derek Thompson, the co-author of Abundance, podcaster, and Atlantic writer joins Mixed Signals to explain what he sees as the forces behind what Ben and Max keep observing: The way in which podcasts and other forms of journalism appear to be getting their largest audience in an endless, passive feed of videos first observed by analysts of 20th century television.

Derek discusses all that as well as his own turn toward independent media, and his personal pivot to video.

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, @maxwelltani

If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com

Title icon

Follow Mixed Signals from Semafor Media