Variety's Dea Lawrence on turning a legacy publication into a cultural brand

In the latest episode of our spring 2026 season of The Publisher Podcast, we're joined by Dea Lawrence, Publisher and Co-President of Variety. Variety has transformed from a B2B pure play to a hybrid business and consumer publication. It still does 70,000 copies a week in print for the industry people who are super keen to see themselves on the cover, but online it reaches millions of passionate entertainment fans. Dea talks about how Variety has weathered the disruption in the entertainment industry itself, the increasing importance of international creators and audiences, and why everything is a content and sponsorship opportunity. She also explains to Peter why microdramas are the next big thing. Read the key takeaways from this interview, find our weekly newsletter and more on voices.media