New Media: Podcasts, Politics & the Collapse of Trust

In this episode of the Ben and Marc show, Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, along with Erik Torenberg, explore the evolution of media from the era of centralized institutions to the rise of internet-native politicians and podcasters. They discuss how platforms like Craigslist, Facebook, and Twitter disrupted traditional media models, leading to an oversupply of news organizations and a decline in public trust in institutions. The conversation touches on the impact of figures like Trump and the rise of authenticity as a key currency, as well as the influence of social media and long-form podcasts in shaping political discourse and public opinion. They also analyze the shift from objective reporting to ideological activism in journalism and the implications for businesses and public figures.