The New York Times has a thriving subscription business, award-winning journalism - and a staff that increasingly turns to Twitter and Slack to express its dissatisfaction. CEO Meredith Kopit Levien talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about managing all of that. This interview was recorded at Digital Content Next’s virtual summit. Featuring: Meredith Levien (@meredith_levien), CEO at The New York Times Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode M...
Feb 11, 2021•43 min•Ep. 321
Can you make someone famous on the internet by buying their fame? Journalist Nick Bilton tries to do just that in “Fake Famous”, a new HBO documentary. Bilton talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about bots, the influencer economy, and why he’s more convinced than ever that social media has outlived its usefulness. Featuring: Nick Bilton (@nickbilton), director of Fake Famous Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of th...
Feb 04, 2021•40 min•Ep. 320
CNBC host and New York Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to recap a wild week on Wall Street for Gamestop, Robinhood, and a lot of small investors. What happens next? Was this a one-off for the Reddit crowd, or will we see repeats? And what kind of steps should business and investing leaders take to make the system fairer? Also: The origin story behind Showtime’s Billions. Featuring: Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin), NYT Columnist and Co-Host on Squawk Bo...
Feb 03, 2021•42 min•Ep. 319
In 2013, Jessica Lessin left her job as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal to start The Information, a subscription-based business publication. 7 years later, it’s thriving, and she’s more convinced than ever that her model can work for other publishers. Lessin sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to weigh to talk about what she’s learned, what she thinks about the Substack movement, and her concerns about tech leaders’ attempts to end-run journalists. Featuring: Jessica Lessin (@Jessicalessi...
Jan 28, 2021•41 min•Ep. 318
The mainstream press spent the last four years trying to figure out how to report in the Trump era? NYU journalism professor joins Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss the highlights and lowlights, and what political journalism in the Biden era should look like - what it might look like. Plus: Apple is talking about selling podcast subscriptions. How do you do that? Figure Four Online/Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez explains. Featuring: Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu), Journalism professor at NYU Bryan ...
Jan 21, 2021•50 min•Ep. 317
It’s going to take a long time to come to grips with the January 6 Capitol Riot and what happened in its wake, but let’s start trying. Recode’s Peter Kafka talks to the New York Times’s Kevin Roose about big tech’s power and responsibility - and whether it is going to have accountability. And NBC’s Ben Collins provides an update on Qanon, the online cult that had a very large hand in the violence in Washington. Featuring: Kevin Roose (@kevinroose), Tech Columnist for The New York Times Ben Colli...
Jan 14, 2021•49 min•Ep. 316
Director Bryan Fogel’s first documentary, Icarus, won an Oscar. His next effort, The Dissident, details the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Fogel talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about why and how he made the movie - and why he thinks Hollywood and big tech companies didn’t want to distribute it. Featuring: Bryan Fogel (@bryanfogel), Director Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the...
Jan 07, 2021•44 min•Ep. 315
Zach Seward co-founded Quartz, the brainy business news site, in 2012. Six years later, it had a new owner, and two years after that, Seward bought it back. Now he’s trying to maintain Quartz’s inventive spirit while getting it on firmer financial ground; he talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about what he got right early on, what he missed, and what he wants to do in 2021. Featuring: Zach Seward (@zseward), Co-Founder & CEO of Quartz Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to e...
Dec 31, 2020•45 min•Ep. 314
Kemp Powers spent years trying to break into Hollywood, left, and came back. Now, at 47, he’s made his first movie: It’s Pixar’s Soul, streaming to millions on Christmas Day. His second movie — One Night In Miami - streams on Amazon next month. Powers talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about his overnight success that took more than a decade, Hollywood’s an-and-offscreen struggles with race, and the advantage of knowing what you’re good at. Featuring: Kemp Power (@Powerkeni), American playwright Host...
Dec 23, 2020•45 min•Ep. 313
New York Times reporter Mike Isaac, joins Recode’s Peter Kafka to explain the new antitrust suits against Facebook. Then, NYT’s Charlie Warzel and CNN’s Oliver Darcy discuss the evolution of right-wing media during the Trump presidency, and what will happen when Trump leaves the White House. Featuring: Mike Isaac (@MikeIsaac), New York Times Tech Reporter Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel), New York Times Writer-at-large Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy), Senior Media Reporter at CNN Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 312
No one thought The Queen’s Gambit would be a breakout hit — including Scott Frank, the Hollywood veteran who created the Netflix show. Frank sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to talk about why a show about chess in the 1960s found a huge audience; what it’s like to work for and with Netflix right now; and how Hollywood is reacting to seismic change. Featuring: Scott Frank, Screenwriter Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Pet...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 311
Nearly 10 years ago, Eli Pariser coined the term “filter bubble” — the idea that Facebook and other platforms limit our view of the world through software choices. Now he wants to create new, non-profit and localized versions of Facebook to help restore our fragmented communities. He talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about his plans. Featuring: Eli Pariser (@elipariser), Co-Founder of New Public by Civic Signals Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free...
Dec 03, 2020•41 min•Ep. 310
Spotify is making a huge push into podcasting. Lydia Polgreen is helping to figure out what means. Gimlet’s head of content sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to talk about the experimenting she’s done since starting her new job at the beginning at the pandemic - and to share thoughts about her time at HuffPost and the New York Times. Featuring: Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen), Head of content at Gimlet Media Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free t...
Nov 25, 2020•46 min•Ep. 309
Jonah Peretti co-founded Huffington Post, then left to start BuzzFeed. Now he’s running both companies. He sits down with Recode Media’s Peter Kafka to explain the logic behind the deal, his ambitions to grow even bigger - and why he says the New York Times can’t be “the paper of record”. Featuring: Jonah Peretti (@peretti), Founder & CEO of BuzzFeed Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industr...
Nov 20, 2020•27 min•Ep. 308
Viacom and CBS merged a year ago. Now their CEO Bob Bakish sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to talk about the company’s future, and its bets on streaming. Featuring: Bob Bakish, CEO of ViacomCBS Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Rec...
Nov 19, 2020•34 min•Ep. 307
New York Magazine’s Reeves Wiedeman sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss the messy internal workings of The New York Times, which changed dramatically during the Trump presidency. Then NPR’s David Folkenflik details how Fox News and Rupert Murdoch covered the election and Trump’s refusal to concede, and that means for the Biden presidency. Featuring: Reeves Wiedeman(@reeveswiedeman), Contributing Editor for New York Magazine David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik), Media Correspondent for ...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 306
Washington correspondent for New York Mag, Olivia Nuzzi, sits down with Recode's Peter Kafka to tell us what she’s hearing and seeing after the election, what she saw before the election, what really happened to her on Air Force 2, and why she livestreamed with Roger Stone on election night. Featuring: Olivia Nuzzi (@olivianuzzi), Washington Correspondent for New York Magazine Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, o...
Nov 05, 2020•45 min•Ep. 305
Vox senior correspondent Matt Yglesias drops by to unpack a wild election night. What just happened? What do we think will happen next? Why were the polls wrong - again? What could the media have done better? And what do the next four years look like for politics and political media? Featuring: Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Vox Senior Correspondent, host of The Weeds Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the...
Nov 04, 2020•40 min•Ep. 304
Zeynep Tufekci is an academic and writes for the Atlantic. She’s not an epidemiologist. So how did she see the pandemic coming before most everyone else? Tufekci sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to talk about experts, expertise, the problem the media has with communicating risk - and why she’s starting her own newsletter, too. Featuring:Zeyneep Tufekci (@zeynep), sociologist and writer for The Atlantic Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to...
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 303
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Google, in the biggest tech antitrust case in two decades. New York Times’ Dai Wakabayashi joins Recode’s Peter Kafka to break downs the details and politics behind the suit, and what it may mean for the search giant’s future. Featuring: Dai Wakabayashi (@daiwaka), New York Times Tech Reporter Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed rep...
Oct 22, 2020•39 min•Ep. 302
Host of ESPN Daily, Pablo Torre, sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss the odd sports + politics + pandemic moment we’re in; he also talks about why he’s a sports journalist and not lawyer, and what it’s like to be a rare sight on TV. Morning Brew, the business newsletter publisher for millennials, is in talks to sell itself to Business Insider Featuring: Pablo Torre (@PabloTorre) TV Personality and host of ESPN Daily Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore:...
Oct 15, 2020•41 min•Ep. 301
What does the new Congressional report on tech antitrust say, and what does it mean for Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple? Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary explains. Then, Axios CEO and co-Founder Jim VandeHei talks about his publication’s very fast start, navigating the Trump White House, and his plans to break into local news. Featuring: Jim VandeHei (@JimVandeHei), CEO and Co-Founder of Axios Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary), Reporter at Recode Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode M...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 300
Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw chats with Recode’s Peter Kafka about how the media and entertainment industry has held up during the Pandemic, including Hollywood’s attempts to bring movies to your house; the music industry’s concert-less summer; and the ongoing booms in streaming and podcasting. Featuring: Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw), reporter at Bloomberg Business Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media indust...
Oct 01, 2020•49 min•Ep. 299
Poltico Editor, Carrie Budoff Brown, sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss the way she’s navigating the political site through a pandemic and the 2020 election — and how the pandemic is affecting the way her publication covers the 2020 election. Featuring: Carrie Budoff Brown (@cbudoffbrown), editor of Politico Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks...
Sep 24, 2020•45 min•Ep. 298
NBC News’ Ben Collins breaks down QAnon, the political pro-Trump conspiracy and its current effect on politics. He and Recode's Peter Kafka also discuss how Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube continue to allow the spread of misinformation on their platforms. Featuring: Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__), reporter for NBC News Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks t...
Sep 17, 2020•51 min
Stratechery’s Ben Thompson sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to unpack what Oracle's proposed TikTok deal actually means, and why removing China's oversight is a good idea. Featuring: Ben Thompson (@benthompson) author and founder of Stratechery Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on...
Sep 16, 2020•23 min
Recode's Peter Kafka chats with Morning Brew CEO Alex Lieberman about his ambitious path from business newsletters to full-fledged media company and why he's looking closely at models like Complex and Barstool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 10, 2020•34 min•Ep. 296
Writer, comedian, author, and commentator, Baratunde Thurston sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss his early pursuits in journalism at Harvard, his thoughts on athletes using their platforms to inspire change and speak out against injustices, and his views on the upcoming election. Featuring: Baratunde Thurston (@baratunde), writer and comedian Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industr...
Sep 03, 2020•43 min•Ep. 295
How do you have a political convention when you can’t convene? New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about the virtual conventions the Democrats and Republicans have put on, and what they tell us about the state of politics and media. Then CNN’s Brian Stelter joins to discuss Hoax, his new book about the way Fox News and Donald Trump have melded — and what it’s like for him to become the subject of attacks from Trump and Fox News personalities and fans. Featurin...
Aug 27, 2020•56 min•Ep. 294
Comedians, podcasters, and now authors, Desus Nice & The Kid Mero, have had an interesting path to becoming one of the hottest duos in late night television. The Bronx natives sit down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss how they got hosting Showtime’s first talk show, what you can expect in their upcoming book God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from the Bronx (which is available for pre-order right now!), and what their plans are for the post-pandemic future. Their Virtual Book Tour k...
Aug 20, 2020•48 min•Ep. 293
