How Dropout found success streaming comedy for $6 a month

When Sam Reich bought CollegeHumor from Barry Diller’s IAC for pennies in January 2020, the comedy site was long past its heyday. A few months later, the pandemic hit. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if CollegeHumor had vanished entirely. Instead, Reich pushed the company to lean into Dropout, the subscription streaming part of the business, and create more improvised comedy content that lent itself well to viral clips on TikTok and YouTube. Today, Dropout has a dedicated fanbase of hundreds of thousands of subscribers and is even talking about establishing a revenue-sharing model with its employees. Vox’s Peter Kafka talks with Reich about how he turned it all around, and what it’s like to be on-camera talent and everyone’s boss.</p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:32:45

Inside the New York Times’ controversial Gaza headline

The New York Times issued a rare editors’ note Monday: a mea culpa for a headline repeating unverified claims from Hamas that a Gaza hospital explosion was caused by an Israeli airstrike. Vanity Fair media reporter Charlotte Klein (<a href="https://twitter.com/charlottetklein">@charlottetklein</a>) obtained internal Slack messages from the Times’ editors which reveal an internal debate about the framing of the original headline. Vox’s Peter Kafka talks to Klein about her scoop.</p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:21:35

How the Washington Post is covering the Israel-Hamas War

The war in Israel and Gaza is hugely complicated - dangerous, horrifying, and moving fast. Which means it’s a huge job for those who have to cover it. The Washington Post’s international editor, Douglas Jehl (<a href="https://twitter.com/jehld">@jehld</a>), joins Vox’s Peter Kafka to discuss how a major news operation covers the conflict between Israel and Hamas. How do you weigh the need to keep on top of the story with the need to fact-check everything in the fog of war? How do editors and reporters balance the risks of entering a conflict zone? And what happens when mistakes are made?</p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:20:32

The rise and (maybe) fall of Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an interconnected series of movies and TV shows that produced four of the top-grossing movies of all time and changed the way Hollywood works. It also may have a hard time sustaining the cultural and business dominance it has enjoyed for the last decade-plus. Here to discuss the superhero’s journey is writer and podcaster Joanna Robinson (<a href="https://twitter.com/jowrotethis">@jowrotethis</a>), co-author of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios. She gives Vox’s Peter Kafka the 101 on the history of Marvel and how it spiraled into myriad streaming shows and films that are increasingly difficult to keep up with in “phase five,” or as Robinson calls it, “the wobble.”</p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:42:04

The internet, explained by Taylor Lorenz

Taylor Lorenz (<a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz">@TaylorLorenz</a>) is the person who told you what “cheugy” means, what a “content house” is, and basically anything else you want to know about young people, the social media they use, and the people who make that media. Now the Washington Post journalist has a book out explaining all of this: “Extremely Online”, which is a history of social media told from the POV of the influencers/creators who made social media work. She talks to Vox’s Peter Kafka about the often contentious relationship between creators and platforms, how even Mr. Beast lives and dies by the algorithm, and how “don’t feed the trolls” is actually terrible advice.</p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:35:54

Warner Music Group’s CEO says AI songs are coming whether you like it or not

When Robert Kyncl (<a href="https://twitter.com/rkyncl">@rkyncl</a>) worked at YouTube, he made deals with companies like Warner Music Group. Now, he’s the CEO of Warner Music Group. Vox’s Peter Kafka interviewed Kyncl live on stage at the Code conference. Kyncl explains how Warner Music Group approaches AI both as a tool and as an intellectual property concern, and why he wants Spotify to charge more. And even though the blockchain and NFT craze has passed — Kyncl is still optimistic about its business potential.</p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:31:35

HBO boss Casey Bloys on the strikes, the bundle and AI

DescriptioThe Hollywood writers’ strike is over and there’s hope the actors guild and studios will also settle their differences soon. So people like HBO and HBO Max Content boss Casey Bloys (<a href="https://twitter.com/caseybloys">@caseybloys</a>) may be able to start making shows again shortly. But how will new deals affect what he makes… and what he doesn’t make? Bloys talks to Peter Kafka about that and much more: TV’s attempt to re-bundle the bundle, why “Max” makes sense as a brand (and as a container for HBO), why HBO shows on Netflix help HBO and what he thinks of AI TV shows. Spoiler! He’s not a fan. Recorded live at the 2023 Code Conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif.</p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:29:18

Why did it take 5 months to solve the Writers’ Strike?

After a historic strike that went on for almost 150 days, the studios and the Writers Guild of America have a (tentative) deal. What’s in the deal, and why did it take almost half a year to get there? And what does this mean for the Screen Actors Guild strike, still in progress? And what happened to the AI issue we were told was existential? Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw (<a href="https://twitter.com/Lucas_Shaw">@Lucas_Shaw</a>) joins Vox’s Peter Kafka to break down what we know so far.</p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:22:20

Why did Rupert Murdoch just leave his media empire?

One of the most powerful people of the 21st century says he’s retiring. Rupert Murdoch, 92, will hand over control of News Corp. and Fox Corp. to his son Lachlan, in November. What does that actually mean? And what happens next?</p>Here to offer some very informed speculation is longtime Murdoch family watcher Brian Stelter, who wrote one book on Murdoch and Fox News and has another one on the way. Up for discussion with Vox’s Peter Kafka: How active has Rupert been at the top of his company? Why is this happening now? What happens to the Murdoch empire right now? And, most importantly - what happens to that empire once Rupert retires from planet Earth?</p>Brian Stelter (<a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter">@brianstelter</a>) is the author of <em>Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth</em> and the forthcoming book <em>Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy</em></p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:18:45

How Matthew Berry made fake football his real job

Once the domain of the nerdiest of sports fans, these days fantasy football analysis is on primetime TV. Matthew Berry (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewBerryTMR">@MatthewBerryTMR</a>) comments on fantasy football for NBC Sports (and before that, ESPN) and founded the website <a href="https://www.fantasylife.com/">fantasylife.com</a>. It's the culmination of a career that, for many people, would have already been a fantasy: serving as George Carlin’s assistant and writing for Married with Children. Berry joins Vox’s Peter Kafka to talk about the business of fantasy sports and what makes it different from straight-up betting.</p><br /></p><strong>Host</strong>: Peter Kafka (<a href="https://twitter.com/pkafka">@pkafka</a>), Senior Editor at Recode</p><strong>More to explore</strong>: <a href="https://pod.link/1080467174">Subscribe for free to Recode Media</a>, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.</p><strong>About Recode by Vox</strong>: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.</p> </p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>

00:39:40