Explore every episode of the podcast Actionable Impact

Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, shares insights on media transformations from blogs to AI, the future of journalism, and how AI tools are reshaping communication strategies. Having spent his career at the vanguard of media transformations, from the early days of blogging and the rise of Politico to leading the virality era at BuzzFeed, Ben is now navigating the most significant shift yet: rebuilding news for the AI era.

In this episode, Ben joins Andrew Bleeker to discuss why AI isn't just another platform adjustment, but an entirely new medium. Togther they explore how newsrooms are using AI to find clarity in a slurry of information and why, in an automated world, trusted human connections and original stories matter more than ever.

In this episode:

• AI as the New Internet: Why Ben believes AI is a qualitative shift in how we communicate, not just a tool for the digital medium.
• The Tension in Journalism: How news is pulling in two opposite directions: toward total automation and toward intense, creator-led connection.
• Global Perspectives on Adoption: How attitudes toward AI vary from region to region. 
• The Return of Fragmented Media: Why the 20th-century model of a few central channels was an anomaly, and how we’ve returned to a world of hyper-partisan, human-led influence.
• The Evolution of Earned Media: Advice for anyone  looking to build their brand with journalists in the AI era.

In the premiere episode of Actionable Impact, host Andrew Bleeker sits down with Robert Gibbs, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer at Warner Brothers Discovery and former White House Press Secretary.

From the White House podium to the helm of a global media giant, Robert has navigated some of the most complex transitions in modern history. In this conversation, he discusses the acceleration of the news cycle, leveraging AI to scale communications, and why the rise of AI makes earned media more essential than ever. 

In this episode:

• The Velocity of Information: How to manage a news cycle that now moves in minutes, not days.
• AI as an Additive Force: Why the goal isn't replacing teams, but scaling a 500-person global operation to the power of 2,500.
• The Future of Earned Media: Why the era of LLMs and synthetic data has made traditional, high-integrity reporting more vital to a brand’s narrative.
• Getting Comfortable with Discomfort: Advice for the next generation of communicators on why embracing the "uncomfortable" is the only way to shape the future rather than being shaped by it.

Join Bully Pulpit International (BPI) CEO Andrew Bleeker for Actionable Impact, a new series of brief, practical discussions on AI transformation with the world’s top communications and public affairs experts. We’re going beyond the hype to focus on the real decisions leaders are making every day: managing team anxieties, maintaining brand trust, rebuilding organizational structures, and more.

Whether you’re leading a global corporation or just starting your career, we are all working through these changes together. Subscribe to explore the high-stakes reality of how technology is actually being used to change how we reach people and how we lead.