Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Ben Smith has never shied away from a new experiment in journalism, and next Sunday he’s launching his latest: a weekly politics-focused column for Semafor.

The project was originally slated to carry the playful title "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," a nod to Frank Capra’s 1939 classic film. But ultimately Smith opted for a name that didn't carry a pun: Washington View. (You can sign up here.)

I caught up with the Semafor co-founder and editor in chief for a wide-ranging conversation about why he’s taking on this project now, how he plans to balance access with scrutiny in covering the Trump White House, the pressures facing legacy media, and more.

Below is the Q&A, lightly edited for style.

What is the idea behind “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and why launch this column now?

First, I did ask readers to suggest a name and that was the universal favorite… but I couldn’t handle the cringe. It’ll be called Washington View.

Second, as Semafor has grown over the last few years, it’s become so clear that the biggest question for people trying to make decisions—from Wall Street to Silicon Valley to global capitals and CEOs—is: What the heck is going on in Washington???

Answering that question is a central focus for our journalists, and since I’ve been reporting on American politics for 20 years, I thought I should put my own time and the intel I pick up from my brilliant colleagues into helping to understand this unprecedented Washington moment.

How do you plan to balance access journalism with tough scrutiny in these columns, particularly if you’re chatting with Trump administration officials and/or the president’s allies who have a lengthy record of exploiting press attention for their own ends?

Every White House seeks to exploit attention and to trade access for favorable coverage; that may be the one way this one isn’t unique. I suppose that’s a good argument for never doing any reporting. But I’ve always thought that the best way to understand what’s happening is to report the hell out of it, rather than to guess based on your preconceptions.

You’re co-founder and editor in chief of Semafor, in addition to co-hosting the Mixed Signals podcast and co-authoring the weekly media newsletter. From a logistical perspective: How will you find time to fit in another project?

Two words: Max Tani.

In all seriousness—we have a great media editor, and it is not me. Expect more Max in our media coverage, though I’m sure I’ll still kibbitz.

You’ve been covering politics your entire life. I’m curious, in this current moment: Do you think democracy is under threat here in the U.S.?

One thing you do see so clearly on the media beat is the way in which institutions struggle to survive this radically transparent, decentralized information environment. I guess I see the political moment primarily in the story of attempts to destroy or maintain or rebuild institutions, rather than in more abstract terms.

Prior to Semafor, you were also the media columnist at The New York Times. The Times is doing well, but quite a few legacy media organizations are struggling to survive here in 2025. Broadly speaking, what are they getting wrong? And how much further disruption will A.I. bring into the fold?

I think it’s incredibly hard for institutions to reckon with this pace of change—and this doesn’t apply only or particularly to media ones.

In the last wave, social media pushed legacy media away from a mission of delivering facts, and toward politics and polarization. Even as they try to recover their footing, they’re being pulled toward automation and personalization on one end, and toward the very, very human creator economy on the other.

Everything in the middle—which is most of what legacy news organizations are—is under real threat. It’s a tough place to be, and it’s part of why it’s such a good moment to start fresh.

Semafor is just three years old. We reported recently that the company is mulling whether to take additional investment capital. Might you have anything to say on that front? And can you share whether Semafor is currently in the black or projected to be in the near future?

You’re asking the wrong Smith.

Give me two predictions in less than 10 words: What will the news media environment look like by 2028? And what will our politics look like?

Media: More consolidated. Politics: More fragmented.