Max Fisher

Ben Smith, Semafor founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News, joins Offline to discuss what the shuttering of newsrooms at Buzzfeed and Vice means for the future of journalism. Ben’s new book, Traffic, traces the rise and fall of the digital media era. He and Jon talk about the personalities and publications that caused this phenomenon, the value of clickbait, and how the race to go viral was doomed from the start. Then, Jon and Max Fisher reunite to recap their week without iPhones and introduce next week’s Unplug Challenge. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Jon welcomes Max Fisher, Crooked’s newest team member, to the Offline family! Max, former New York Times reporter and author of The Chaos Machine, joins the show as a recurring contributor, bringing fresh commentary, segments, and even interviews to Offline. This week he and Jon put their heads together to decode AI hysteria, the TikTok ban, and whether big tech has passed its prime. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Max Fisher, New York Times reporter, explains how social media rewired our minds and offers strategies to break free. Topics include the manipulative power of social media platforms, the impact of social media on outrage and well-being, and the need to understand its influence and decrease usage.

Max Fisher from The New York Times discusses the evolutionary reasons humans can't thrive on social media. Douglas Rushkoff explores tech billionaires' extreme preparations. Alex Mesoudi talks about the impact of social media on human cognition. The podcast explores the cultural evolution and potential changes in the social media landscape.

Authors Taylor Lorenz and Max Fisher discuss 'the dress' viral phenomenon of 2015, reflecting on its impact on social media and internet culture. They explore the evolution of online journalism and the rise of clickbait, highlighting Buzzfeed's role in driving viral content. The podcast delves into the neuroscientific aspects of color perception and the dark side of the internet, addressing current issues like knife threats and net neutrality.