Mixed Signals from Semafor Media Derek Thompson on why everything is becoming television, and whether democracy can survive it
28 snips
Nov 14, 2025 
Derek Thompson, journalist and co-author of Abundance, dives into the intriguing notion that all media is becoming television. He unpacks the rise of endless video flows in podcasting and social apps, predicting potential national attention deficits. Thompson discusses the survival of long-form media amidst quick bites of content and explores the charisma behind impactful on-camera performances. Additionally, he shares insights on his shift to independent publishing and the surprising success of his book, revealing a curiosity-driven approach to exploring diverse topics.
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Television As The Media Attractor
- Media products from podcasts to AI increasingly adopt a television-style, endless video flow.
- Derek Thompson calls television an 'attractor state' where diverse media gravitate toward continuous, feed-driven video.
The Flow Is Now The Product
- Television introduced the cultural state of 'flow' where audiences open a feed without knowing what they'll see.
- TikTok and Instagram intensify that flow by optimizing for endless, serendipitous consumption.
Attention Thinning Risks Deeper Thought
- The shift to feed-based, short-form video may be thinning collective attention and patience for deep ideas.
- Thompson warns this could reduce society's capacity for complex thought and favor mnemonic truth over empirics.
