Ben Smith On Truth At A Lower Resolution episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 23, 2025 · 45 MIN

Ben Smith On Truth At A Lower Resolution

from The Gist · host Mike Pesca

Editor-in-Chief, co-founder of Semafor, and host of the Mixed Signals podcast Ben Smith assesses how the media lost its footing during the Trump years—not through lies, but through disproportion. He critiques the rise of "disinformation" as a catch-all beat and notes that Substack surprised him by housing everything from bug-eating conspiracies to teen memoirists. Plus the structural distrust in media—and how even flawless reporting wouldn't have prevented audience collapse. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Editor-in-Chief, co-founder of Semafor, and host of the Mixed Signals podcast Ben Smith assesses how the media lost its footing during the Trump years—not through lies, but through disproportion. He critiques the rise of "disinformation" as a catch-all beat and notes that Substack surprised him by housing everything from bug-eating conspiracies to teen memoirists. Plus the structural distrust in media—and how even flawless reporting wouldn't have prevented audience collapse. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠

NOW PLAYING

Ben Smith On Truth At A Lower Resolution

0:00 45:20

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Gist?

This episode is 45 minutes long.

When was this The Gist episode published?

This episode was published on July 23, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Editor-in-Chief, co-founder of Semafor, and host of the Mixed Signals podcast Ben Smith assesses how the media lost its footing during the Trump years—not through lies, but through disproportion. He critiques the rise of "disinformation" as a...

Can I download this The Gist episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!