Media Summit Podcast

At Media Summit | SF 2025, J.J. Colao sat down with Brendan Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company, for a conversation about the business of modern media, revenue models, the role of print, the pressure of clicks, and what AI means for publishers.Brendan shares how Fast Company thinks about diversifying revenue, why they maintain a print magazine in an increasingly digital world, the work that goes into their iconic lists, and why he thinks the global AI arms race is setting us up to repeat the mistakes of social media.⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 — Teaser highlights1:24 — Welcome & introductions1:56 — Brendan's path to Fast Company: Business Insider, The Atlantic, and the call that changed things2:54 — What made Fast Company special from the start4:12 — The redesign: why a design-forward brand has to walk the walk5:21 — Going from monthly to quarterly: giving print a clear purpose7:20 — Why Fast Company still publishes a physical magazine8:39 — The recognition programs and why even tech giants care about being in print10:09 — Breaking down Fast Company's revenue pie chart12:17 — The path to growth: subscriptions, events, and the Fast Company Impact Council13:15 — What makes an ideal Fast Company story13:52 — The clicks problem: innovation journalism vs. internet traffic15:39 — The lists: Most Innovative Companies, Brands That Matter, and more16:25 — New franchise: Ignition Schools, a joint program with Inc17:49 — David Linsky returns to Fast Company18:36 — The Inc and Fast Company relationship: shared functions, separate editorial20:44 — What thrills Brendan, what terrifies him: AI, traffic, and the regulatory vacuum22:42 — Closing thoughts—🎙️ Media Summit is a conference series that brings together editors, writers, and operators shaping the future of media.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations from Media Summit events.

In this fireside conversation from Media Summit | NYC 2025, J.J. Colao sits down with Mike Hofman, Editor-in-Chief of Inc., to unpack how one of the most iconic founder-focused media brands is adapting to a radically different landscape.Mike started his career at Inc. as a fact-checker, left for roles at GQ and Fast Company, and returned nearly 15 years later to lead the publication as Editor-in-Chief. In this conversation, he explains what’s changed, what hasn’t, and why Inc. is increasingly focused on events, community, and direct relationships with founders.Rather than competing with other publications, Mike argues that modern business media is competing with Substack newsletters, founder podcasts, private group chats, and informal peer networks. That shift has forced a rethink of both editorial strategy and revenue models.This episode is especially relevant for:- Media operators and editors- Founders building audience-driven businesses- Investors interested in durable media models- Anyone thinking seriously about the future of journalism and entrepreneurshipTopics covered include:- Why the Inc. 5000 has become the company’s marquee franchise- How events and recognition programs now drive a significant share of revenue- The role of community and membership in stabilizing media businesses- What founders want from media today—and what they ignore- How Inc. is thinking about AI, data ownership, and editorial responsibility- Why capitalism itself has become a more contested topic in founder culture⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction and Mike Hofman’s background01:45 – What the Inc. 5000 really is and why it matters02:56 – Why events are now a major revenue driver03:56 – Record-breaking attendance and sponsorships explained05:32 – Who Inc. is actually competing with today07:38 – Substack, podcasts, and founder group chats08:18 – Revenue mix: events, direct digital, and recognition programs08:47 – Community and the Inc. Leadership Forum10:24 – Returning to Inc. as Editor-in-Chief: what stayed and what changed11:55 – Capitalism, workplace tension, and founder identity14:43 – AI, lean companies, and what keeps Mike up at night16:07 – Is AI a bubble, a revolution, or both?16:29 – Closing thoughts from Media Summit | NYC 2025

In this fireside conversation from Media Summit | NYC 2025, J.J. Colao sits down with Eric Hippeau, Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau and former CEO of Huffington Post and Ziff Davis, to unpack what actually broke the media business and what (if anything) can be rebuilt in its place.Eric has spent three decades operating at the intersection of journalism, technology, and capital. He’s seen media before the internet, through the rise of platforms, and now into the AI era. This conversation is less about nostalgia and more about first-principles thinking: trust, distribution, monetization, and why the old models aren’t coming back.We cover:- How media shifted from publisher-controlled distribution to platform dominance- Why trust eroded when journalism became entangled with clicks, commentary, and algorithms- Whether quality journalism still has an economic moat in a world of infinite content- Why AI will reshape media workflows, but won’t replace reporting- Whether selling content to AI companies is a real business or just a temporary add-on- What Eric learned selling Huffington Post in 2011—and why that year mattered- Where venture-scale opportunities still exist in media (and where they don’t)- What advice Eric gives to today’s media founders, Substack writers, and journalistsThis is a practical conversation for journalists, media operators, founders, and investors who want to understand how media actually works now, not how it used to work, and what role serious journalism can still play in an AI-driven world.Timestamps00:00 — Introduction & Eric Hippeau’s media career01:55 — How media used to work: gatekeepers, distribution, and control03:25 — When power shifted from publishers to platforms04:36 — Why trusted media brands lost their daily relationship with audiences05:29 — Did publishers lose trust by chasing algorithms and clicks?06:52 — When journalism blurred into commentary and entertainment08:21 — Can trust be rebuilt — and by whom?08:43 — Are there still venture-scale opportunities in media?09:08 — Tools vs. media businesses: where investors are actually betting10:07 — AI-produced content and the future of film, video, and production11:29 — Are AI companies dependent on journalism’s raw material?12:10 — Why selling content to LLMs isn’t a long-term business model13:15 — 2011 and the decision to sell Huffington Post15:03 — Community, moderation, and why early HuffPost worked16:38 — When platforms took distribution — and why it never came back17:27 — What BuzzFeed got right (and wrong) about platform distribution18:51 — How programmatic advertising hollowed out media economics20:25 — Why subscriptions now subsidize journalism indirectly20:43 — Advice for media entrepreneurs and Substack writers21:04 — Why AI must be a tool, not the product22:27 — Final thoughts on media’s future

In this fireside conversation from Media Summit | NYC 2025, Alyson Shontell (Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer of Fortune) sits down with Peter Kafka from Business Insider to talk candidly about what it actually takes to run a modern newsroom in the AI era.Rather than speculating about whether AI will “replace journalists,” the conversation stays grounded in practice: how AI is being used inside Fortune today, where it meaningfully helps, where it doesn’t, and why source-driven reporting and editorial judgment matter more as automation improves.Shontell walks through Fortune Intelligence, the internal team created to experiment with AI tools and why the company chose to be transparent about that work. She also explains why much of the “easy” work in media is already commoditized and why the future of journalism depends on doing the parts that can’t be automated.Some of the key ideas explored in this conversation:- Why AI should handle the easy work so journalists can focus on the hard stuff- How Fortune uses AI like a smart intern, not a writer- What “AI-generated stories” gets wrong as a framing- Why newsroom standards don’t change just because tools do- How trust, transparency, and corrections matter more in an AI world, not less- The tension between commodity content and journalism that people actually pay for- What it means when Alyson says, “Your boss reads Fortune”Watch the full fireside conversation from Media Summit | NYC 2025 and learn how one of the most influential editors in business media is navigating AI.

What happens when journalists have to cover their own industry while that industry is under political, legal, and financial pressure? At Media Summit | NYC 2025, we hosted a candid, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about the state of media reporting itself.This panel brought together Oliver Darcy (Status), Max Tani (Semafor), moderated by Hadas Gold (CNN) to unpack how journalists are navigating power, accountability, and credibility in a fragmented media landscape.This wasn’t a theoretical discussion. It was about what reporters are actually seeing (and feeling) on the ground right now.In this episode, we cover:- Why lawsuits are increasingly being used as a tool to intimidate journalists, especially independents- The “chilling effect” of hyper-involved media owners on newsroom decision-making- Why softening coverage to win skeptical audiences often backfires- What’s been lost as newsrooms eliminate ombudsmen and internal accountability roles- How independent journalists are filling gaps left by legacy institutions and where that model still breaks down- Why sticking to facts, even when they anger powerful people, is still the only defensible strategy- How media reporters decide which stories are worth the legal and professional riskThe throughline is simple but urgent: A free press doesn’t just depend on brave reporters. It depends on whether they can afford to keep reporting.If you care about journalism, trust, power, or how information actually gets shaped before it reaches the public, this conversation is essential.🎧 Watch the full Media Reporting Panel from Media Summit | NYC 2025 now.

Everyone is talking about AI. Very few people actually understand what’s happening.At Media Summit | NYC 2026, we brought together three of the reporters who spend every day inside the AI story:- Rebecca Bellan (TechCrunch)- Hayden Field (The Verge)- Rashi Shrivastava (Forbes)- Moderated by Julie Samuels (Tech:NYC)This conversation wasn’t about shiny demos or vague promises. It was about power, accountability, and how AI is already reshaping society, often faster than regulation, policy, or public understanding can keep up.In this episode, we unpack:- Why AI has become a daily conversation everywhere (from coffee shops to classrooms)- How a small number of companies and people control an outsized share of AI’s future- Why skepticism is essential when covering AI startups, funding, and “winners”- The mistake regulators keep making by focusing on models instead of real-world use cases- How fear, money, and infrastructure are colliding in the AI boom- The human stories hiding beneath the headlinesOne insight kept coming up: the AI story isn’t just about technology. It’s about who holds power, who benefits, and who gets left out.If you care about how AI will shape jobs, policy, media, and everyday life (or how journalists should cover it responsibly) this conversation is worth your time.Watch the full panel from Media Summit | NYC 2026.

Crypto isn’t just a technology story. It’s a story about legitimacy.At Media Summit | NYC 2025, three of the most trusted reporters covering crypto (Nina Bambysheva @ Forbes, Leo Schwarz @ Fortune, and Yueqi Yang @ The Information) sat down for a rare, candid conversation about how crypto actually gets covered when the cameras are off and the hype fades.Moderated by Dan Simon (Qwoted), this panel pulls back the curtain on the editorial judgment calls that shape crypto narratives and the responsibility journalists carry when coverage itself can create legitimacy.In this episode, they unpack:How reporters decide which crypto stories are systemically important vs. pure noiseWhy media coverage confers legitimacy and why that’s dangerous if done carelesslyHow skepticism can build credibility instead of burning sourcesWhy crypto is as much a regulatory innovation story as a tech oneWhat’s still underreported: scams, political influence, and power behind the scenesHow journalists try to avoid creating the next Sam Bankman-FriedThis is how serious journalists think about risk, power, and responsibility in one of the most volatile beats in modern business reporting.If you want to understand crypto beyond price charts and press releases (and see how trust is actually built or lost), this conversation is essential.🎧 Watch the full panel from Media Summit | NYC 2025.

For more than a century, Forbes has been synonymous with success. But behind the lists, covers, and cultural moments is something far more interesting: a media company that quietly rebuilt itself to survive (and grow) through some of the most turbulent years in journalism.At Media Summit NYC 2025, we sat down with Randall Lane, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer of Forbes, for a candid conversation about how Forbes actually operates today and where it’s heading next.In this episode, Randall breaks down:How Forbes built a diversified business model across subscriptions, ads, licensing, and eventsWhy diversification allowed Forbes to weather Covid without panicWhy AI isn’t a product, but a layer that will change every part of mediaHow Forbes thinks about creators as entrepreneurs, not influencersWhy Forbes shows up in over 150 hip-hop songs and what that says about brand powerHow Forbes decides which lists to expand, evolve, or killWhy the riskiest move for media companies right now is not experimentingThis is a real-time look at how a 100+ year-old brand adapts without losing its identity and why entrepreneurship remains the connective tissue across everything Forbes does.Whether you’re a journalist, founder, creator, or media operator, this conversation offers rare insight into what it actually takes to build something durable in an industry defined by change.🎧 Watch or listen to the full conversation from Media Summit | NYC 2025.

Independent media is a full-blown movement in 2025. And in this candid Media Summit | NYC 2025 panel, three of the most respected builders in the space pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to go out on your own.Alex Konrad (Upstarts Media), Alex Heath (Sources), and Hope King (Macro Talk) join moderator Kerry Flynn (Axios) for a conversation that blends founder psychology, revenue mechanics, creative autonomy, and the hidden cost structure behind the indie boom.This episode is a masterclass for anyone thinking about launching a newsletter, podcast, or solo media business or anyone simply fascinated by where journalism is heading next.What you’ll learn in this episode:- Why so many top reporters are leaving legacy media (and why none of them regret it)- The real economic math of going solo (subscriptions, ads, podcast revenue, events, fractional teams)- The part no one glamorizes: loneliness, founder-burnout, no weekends, and the pressure to be the bottleneck in your own company- How indie creators build alliances instead of newsrooms (and why community is replacing corporate structure)- Why naming your media company after yourself might limit your upside- The surprising truth: reporters make better salespeople than they ever expected- A framework for deciding if independence is right for you: “Do you want the outcome or do you want the work required to get the outcome?”- The future of indie media: the brands, the ad dollars, and the new infrastructure forming around independent creatorsPacked with practical advice, behind-the-scenes stories, and founder-level honesty, this episode is required listening for anyone navigating the intersection of journalism, entrepreneurship, and personal brand building.

How do you build, protect, and grow one of the most influential news brands on earth?In this panel from Media Summit | NYC 2025, Sara Fischer sat down with David Rubin, Chief Brand & Communications Officer at The New York Times. He’s the executive responsible for how the Times shows up across news, Cooking, Games, Wirecutter, The Athletic, and its entire subscription ecosystem.Rubin joined the Times nine years ago, when the company had just 1.5 million subscribers. Today, it’s approaching 12 million with one of the strongest media bundles in the world.This conversation goes deep into brand strategy, trust, growth, misinformation, product, and the future of journalism (and why the Times believes news is still the core of everything).In this episode, you’ll learn:Why the Times launched family subscriptionsThe Times’ 3-pillar brand strategyHow NYT responds to misinformation and public attacksThe Times’ stance on the Trump lawsuitWhy only a fraction of people who read news actually pay for itThe “solar system” model for NYT’s productsWhat the next era of New York Times branding will focus on👉 Watch and listen to the full episode now, wherever you get your podcasts.