Ep 127: Max Meyer, Arena Magazine, and the Battle for Truth, Beauty & Progress

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Sep 15, 2025

Max Meyer, Editor and Publisher of Arena, dives into the state of modern journalism with a focus on high-quality storytelling. He critiques the negativity of legacy media and explores the impact of AI-generated content on quality. Meyer shares insights from his time at Stanford, highlighting how student journalism shapes political discourse. He also discusses Arena's mission to champion innovation and American values, along with plans for a new media initiative that embraces credible reporting. Prepare for a spirited defense of truth, beauty, and progress!

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INSIGHT

High-End Print Counters Online Noise

Arena aims to fight low-quality, negative tech coverage by producing bold, pro-technology print journalism.
Max believes premium, pro-American work will stand apart from online slop and regain trust.

INSIGHT

Outrage Is A Business Tactic

Media outlets chase eyeballs and monetize outrage because ad revenue collapsed to Google and Meta.
That economic pressure drives negativity and attacks on successful tech entrepreneurs.

INSIGHT

Elite Schools Shift Journalism Culture

Journalism shifted from working-class to elite grads, changing norms and political leanings.
Elite journalism schools spread ideological contagion that skews coverage leftward.

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Max Meyer is the Editor and Publisher of Arena — an American technology magazine that is pro-America and pro-technology! How did legacy media become cynically motivated and ideologically captured? Will "AI slop" only make things worse? And, most importantly, what is the antidote?

We discuss these issues and more with the entrepreneur and writer behind one of America's most exciting new media outlets. Before launching Arena, Max studied geophysics at Stanford University and served as editor of the Stanford Review, where he drew national attention for his investigative reporting, including exposing former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's ties to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

We start with the fall of once-great magazines, like Scientific American, and why Max is going all-in on high-quality, shoe-leather journalism that stands the test of time. Next, we discuss the evolution of journalism from a working-class to elite profession, the implications therein, and why the attack pieces and hit jobs are starting to backfire. We dive into some of Arena's recent work, from the first-ever profile of Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf to covering breakout industries and entrepreneurs routinely overlooked by mainstream newsrooms. Then, we talk about Max's time as editor of the Stanford Review, and carrying on the tradition started by Peter Thiel and other editors, myself included, of challenging campus groupthink and defending Western values. Finally, we address the coming avalanche of "AI slop" and why Max is betting that trustworthy, premium-packaged content will stand apart from the noise.

Learn why top builders and leaders are reading Arena -- and subscribe here to get the magazines. You can use code “JOE30” at checkout to get a 30% discount off your first year subscription!

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the murder of my friend Charlie Kirk.

00:00 Episode intro

01:38 What is Arena?

06:00 Why is journalism broken?

09:50 How Wired, TechCrunch, etc. went off the rails

15:07 Why Max is betting on premium, high-end media

19:00 Exposing Marxists as Editor of the Stanford Review

21:20 Should we be worried about AI slop?

25:58 What's next for Arena?

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