Despite Washington moves to ban TikTok, the company and influencers in the South of France seem to be in denial. Ben, Nayeema, and Max explore conspiracies around TikTok and the company's future, particularly if its most recent Tokfluencer, Donald Trump, wins in November. Then they turn to the saga of Will Lewis, CEO of The Washington Post, unpacking why everyone (in media) is talking about it and what it means for the bigger picture of journalistic ethics. Max brings blind spots from the worlds of short-short fashion and political video editing, and Nayeema and Ben talk about how we get to the bottom of the age question in the presidential campaign.
Also: on-the-ground updates from the Cannes Lions Festival, where you can find the real conspiracy behind media: The ad business.
Watch the full TikTok from user tophertownmusic that we played part of in the episode: https://www.tiktok.com/@tophertownmusic/video/7368680270368787758
Drop us a line if you’ve got a tip: mixedsignals@semafor.com
Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza
Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media is presented by Think with Google
