Balaji on How Tech Truly Wins Media
Show Notes
What really caused the breakdown between tech and media—and what comes next?
Erik Torenberg sits down with Balaji Srinivasan (entrepreneur, investor, and author of The Network State) to explore the long-building conflict between Silicon Valley and legacy journalism. Balaji explains how the collapse of traditional media business models gave rise to political capture, clickbait, and adversarial coverage of the tech industry.
They discuss why “going direct” is no longer optional, how tech became the villain in establishment narratives, and what it would take to build a new truth infrastructure - from decentralized content creation to cryptographic verification.
This episode covers power, distribution, and the future of media, with a signature mix of historical insight, social analysis, and Balaji’s forward-looking frameworks.
Timecodes:
Introduction
The Media vs. Tech Conflict
The Collapse of Journalism Revenue
Rise of Wokeness and Political Realignment
State vs. Network: A New Framework
The Power Structure of Media Institutions
The Role of Distribution and the Internet
The Social War: Red vs. Blue America
X Day and the Shift in Social Media Power
Strategies for Technologists: Go Direct
The Importance of Individual Creators
Decentralized Truth and the Ledger of Record
The Future of Media, Democracy, and Equality
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
Resources
Find Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajis
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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