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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Max Tani

Max Tani

Media Editor, Semafor

Email Max@maxwelltani

Max is a New York-based journalist covering media for Semafor. He previously was a member of the White House team at POLITICO, where he co-authored the daily West Wing Playbook newsletter. He has also written about media and politics for the Daily Beast and Business Insider.

Marc Elias’ Democracy Docket sees Trump 2.0 success

One of the Democratic Party’s most prolific lawyers also is becoming one of its most prolific posters.

CEO’s podcast sparks tensions atop The Atlantic

Nicholas Thompson’s podcast, “The Most Interesting Thing in AI,” has been a source of friction at the magazine.
Screenshot of YouTube
Screenshot/YouTube/Nicholas Thompson

AI nonprofit will spend $10 million on journalism

A Silicon Valley nonprofit close to the AI safety movement is funding coverage of artificial intelligence.
Screenshots
Screenshot/Tarbell Center for AI Journalism; Screenshot/Machine Gods

Inside the US Treasury secretary’s tense relationship with financial media

Scott Bessent’s blacklist starts with Bloomberg.
Scott Bessent
Brian Snyder/Reuters

Crooked Media’s nonprofit launches new political creator drive

The nonprofit arm of Pod Save America’s audio empire is hoping to lure younger voters back to the Democratic Party.
Screenshots
Crooked Media; Screenshot/TikTok/Crooked Ideas

YouTube cracks down on ‘ghost creators’

The enforcement action targeted accounts named in Semafor’s report earlier this week.

Paid actors, AI writing: How a new kind of video business cashed in on America’s divided politics

‘Ghost creators’ are reaching millions of viewers with nearly identical, sensationalized videos that take aim at Democrats.

Axel Springer invests in Abu Dhabi-based outlet The Circuit

Axel Springer is latest Western publisher to take a greater editorial interest in the business story in the Middle East.

UTA goes to war with Hollywood news giant

The CEO of United Talent Agency is going after a Variety reporter.

New York Times tests out AI-generated search summaries

In recent weeks, the paper has quietly rolled out a new AI-powered search page for a small subset of visitors.

MS NOW to launch membership program for ‘super fans’

The cable news network will roll out the program next month in an effort to grow its digital business and reach new audiences.

‘The Daily Show’ faces uncertain future under Paramount

Jon Stewart’s deal is up at the end of the year, and while there is strong interest from Paramount to renew, the two sides have yet to ink an extension.

Daily Mail brings on exec as it plans video expansion

The US outpost of the UK tabloid told Semafor that it had hired Mike Rothman as the company’s new general manager.

CNN president pitches giving network an editorial board to shield it from Paramount

The editorial board is intended to assuage concerns about any future meddling by Paramount in the news network’s journalism.

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl on AI, streaming power, and why music royalties are the safest asset on Wall Street

The Warner Music Group CEO joins Mixed Signals to explain what a record label actually does in a world where anyone can upload a song to Spotify.

Spotify’s new ‘skip’ button could end the podcast business as we know it

The Swedish streaming giant cast the move as streamlining a feature that already exists, the Spotify app’s 15-second skip button.

The AI ‘news’ accounts hyping a blue-state dystopia

AI-generated videos are flooding YouTube with fake narratives about chaos in California and New York.

Senate Democrat’s new bills would restrict AI-powered ads and paid influencers

California Sen. Adam Schiff plans to introduce two new bills that would attempt to illuminate who is paying influencers for political speech online and restrict AI-generated likenesses of politicians.