The Grill Room

Axios’s Jim VandeHei joins Dylan to make the case for radical simplification in the age of A.I., drawing on his new book, Simplify, as well as Axios’s own moves to kill off sports and Policy Pro while doubling down on politics, tech, events, and local news.

Dylan and Julia break down YouTube's new monetization rules—an A.I. slop-proof 8,000 view threshold designed to crown a class of “premium” creators and pull news brands deeper into its orbit. Plus: What Bob Iger and Josh Kushner’s $12.5 billion Lakers bid reveals about the state of sports and Bob’s post-Disney life.

Jonathan Greenberger, the unconventional editor in chief of Politico, joins Dylan to explain how a business-side executive ended up running the newsroom—and what it means for Politico's future. They discuss the relaunch of Playbook and its early scoop streak, the push to make every franchise multi-platform (podcasts, video, events), and Politico's bet that its global footprint can turn political d...

Christian Baesler, the new C.E.O. of Business Insider, joins Dylan to lay out his strategy for revitalizing the media company. He makes the case for monetizing scale beyond the website, doubling down on pro-consumer niches like AI Insider and CMO Insider, and using A.I. to sharpen the publication’s journalism. Baesler also shares his vision for Business Insider to become a platform for indepe...

Julia and Dylan discuss Ross Douthat’s move from The New York Times to CBS’s 60 Minutes—and what it signals about the Times’ pivot to video, which may have inadvertently created a star system with real talent-retention consequences. They also dig into the broader challenge of holding onto talent inside legacy organizations, the growing pull of going independent, and why video has become so central...

John Ourand joins Dylan to make sense of the evolving sports media landscape and the outsized role streamers like Amazon Prime and Netflix now play in the battle for rights. They discuss why the streamers are leaning into sports while remaining wary—the A.I. capex race is eating into budgets—and get into the World Cup’s record viewership and revenue on Fox. They also look ahead to the uncertain 20...

In this special replay episode, new BuzzFeed majority stakeholder Byron Allen joins Dylan to discuss his plans for the platform—and his long-term goal of building the world’s biggest media company. They discuss how the acquisition could help boost awareness for his app, Local Now, and his plan to ultimately turn BuzzFeed into a free streaming service (like YouTube) to appeal to advertisers and con...

Julia and Dylan reunite to reflect on the biggest media plotlines of the first half of 2026: the impact of A.I. on news organizations, the rise of prediction markets, and the transformation of platforms like YouTube and Instagram into full-blown entertainment hubs. They also dig into the struggles of legacy brands like CBS and CNN to adapt, before looking ahead at how media companies can evolve, d...

In this special crossover episode of The Powers That Be, Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive content creator and author of The Day After, joins Peter Hamby to diagnose the Democratic Party’s persistent media problem. Cohen digs into why the party's reliance on traditional press has left it flat-footed against Trump’s effective use of various platforms. He also takes aim at the F.C.C. under Brendan Carr...

Julia and Dylan reunite to examine the perennial crisis in local news and The New York Times’ new bet on solving it—a local newsletter launching in the Twin Cities. They discuss the strategic thinking behind the “experiment” and why the Times, of all players, might have the resources and reach to actually make this model work.

Stephen Dubner, author of Freakonomics and host of Freakonomics Radio, joins Dylan to discuss the makings of his new YouTube show, Better in Person. Stephen gets into his pivot from traditional to digital media, the value of authenticity in an increasingly crowded media landscape, and what he hopes audiences take away from the show.

There’s a lot of dopey financial advice out there. Jill Schlesinger is here to call it out, answer your questions, break down the financial news that actually matters, and help you manage your money without losing your mind. No jargon. No judgment. Just clear, actionable financial guidance about saving, investing, buying a home, managing your career, and deciding how to spend your hard-earned doll...

Julia and Dylan reunite to dig into The New York Times’s pivot to a video-first model—confirmed this week by executive editor Joe Kahn, who’s likening the shift to the paper’s move from print to digital. They discuss what it means for the Times’s business and marketing strategy, what happens to newsroom culture when a star system takes hold, and what the move portends for journalism writ large. Th...

The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan join Dylan for an inside look at their new book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ which moved an extraordinary 300,000 copies in its first week. They shed light on their reporting process, why the book has cut through despite widespread Trump fatigue in media, where their reporting partnership goes from here, and...

Julia and Dylan reunite to talk through the implications of the Comcast-NBCUniversal split—a move that could actually reposition NBCU as a buyer rather than an acquisition target, with Netflix and Amazon among the potential suitors. Then they turn to a revealing Beehiiv report on the newsletter business, and break down why niche topics like finance and investing are dominating the industry leaderb...

Campbell Brown, the former CNN veteran and founder of Forum AI, joins Dylan to explain why A.I. companies shouldn’t be trusted to evaluate themselves—and why the industry’s self-grading habit may be its worst blind spot. Then they debate whether media outlets that are hesitant to reckon with A.I. are just accelerating their own obsolescence. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward a...

Julia and Dylan reconvene to pull on every thread from The New York Times’ sprawling exposé on former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. They dig into the journalism scandal at the heart of the piece, what it really means to be an insider versus a reporter, and how The Times balances standards and ethics as it grows its business, courts new audiences, and elevates its own stars—all while protecting...

Lulu Cheng Meservey, the communications guru and founder of Rostra, joins Dylan to make the case that traditional media and P.R. are dead, and that founders are better off talking directly to their audiences than waiting for others to tell their story. She breaks down how to balance the demands of publicity with actually building a worthwhile product, and suggests why founders who show up, build t...

Dylan and Julia trade notes on a gigantic week in media: Lachlan Murdoch’s $22 billion move on Roku, Jay Penske scooping up the Vox Media scraps, and the tortured hunt for a new No. 2 to run CNN and CBS with Bari Weiss.  See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠⁠ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.c...

Versant C.E.O. Mark Lazarus joins Dylan to make the bull case for the cable business everyone keeps pronouncing dead, and his four-vertical strategy anchored by MS Now, CNBC, Golf Channel, and Fandango. They also discuss MS Now’s digital expansion, Crooked Media’s licensing deal, and other media topics du jour. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠...

Dylan and Julia relive the Knicks' instant-classic Game 4 win at MSG and break down the cultural spectacle that is Celebrity Row. They then dive into the latest seismic shocks in the creator economy: CAA and Integrated Media's $250 million venture, Billy Parks' Creator Studios at Fox, and the Times' plan for Substack creators. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/Inve...

Dylan sits down with Fox One head Pete Distad to discuss why the World Cup is a make-or-break moment for Fox's streaming service. They dive into the platform's new features designed to pull in and retain fans and why sports fans are sticking around for Fox News in greater numbers than anticipated. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠⁠ To learn mor...

Dylan and Julia sit down to discuss the chaos unfolding at CBS, with the addition of Nick Bilton and the loss of Scott Pelley et al. They talk about how strong-minded leadership without relevant experience might impact the network's ability to retain top talent going forward and whether the still-valuable 60 Minutes brand can survive its reinvention. See all the ways bp is driving American energy...

Dylan and Julia welcome tech reporter Joanna Stern, who after 12 years at the Wall Street Journal recently went independent — launching a newsletter called New Things, joining NBC News as a contributor, and publishing a new book on A.I., I Am Not a Robot. They also get into the state of A.I. wearables and the role of A.I. agents in decision-making at all levels. See all the ways bp is driving Amer...

Dylan and Julia get right down to brass tacks with the latest shocks in the  Bari Weiss–CBS News psychodrama: the firing of Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, and the stunning appointment of Nick Bilton—a magazine journalist without TV news experience—to replace Tanya Simon as executive producer. Then they turn to the challenges of managing a news program, the friction between staff and new leadersh...