Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joins Mixed Signals to make the case that America's loneliness crisis is a public health emergency — and that social media is a bigger driver of it than almost anything else we're paying attention to. Max and Ben ask Vivek why he chose to focus on isolation rather than cancer or heart disease after his tenure as Surgeon General, whether the science on social media harms is as definitive as he suggests, and what'd he say to people who think the health risks of drinking alcohol are worth the social benefits.

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Steve Hilton has lived many lives: a key strategist to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, a populist Fox News host, and — after renouncing his UK citizenship — the Republican nominee in California’s gubernatorial race. Max and Ben ask him about a career that has intertwined politics and media at every turn, why he succeeded in a primary where Spencer Pratt failed, and how he balances conservative media’s portrayal of California with a campaign to lead the state. They also discuss whether David Ellison’s Paramount would really flee Hollywood, what people get wrong about the Murdochs, and what he really thinks about the character he inspired on The Thick of It.

Sports media host and "Casuals" podcast creator Katie Nolan joined Mixed Signals live at Cannes to talk about navigating two decades of upheaval in sports media. Max and Ben ask Katie why she turned down gambling advertising when it was everywhere, how politics keeps inserting itself into sports whether she wants it to or not, and whether the window that opened for women in sports media is closing again. They also get into call-in radio, hockey's underrated chaos, and what it took for her to become a Jeopardy! champion.

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

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

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Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman joins Mixed Signals during the platform's 21st birthday to talk about what it means to be the internet's anti-social media hub. Max and Ben ask Steve how Reddit thinks about its partnerships, why the company is suing Anthropic, and why it's a good thing that you can't get rich from being a prolific Reddit user.

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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

Call Her Daddy host and Unwell co-founder Alex Cooper joins Mixed Signals live at Cannes Lions to talk about what it takes to turn a hit podcast into a real media business. Max and Ben ask Alex how Unwell's creative agency ended up going toe-to-toe with Call Her Daddy in revenue, what she learned from her interview with Michelle Obama, and why she's more interested in the marketing than most talent in her field.

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