Katie Drummond, global editorial director of WIRED, sits down with Eric Newcomer to talk about the roiling war between tech and media. From surviving the Gawker bankruptcy to now running one of the most scrutinized publications in tech, Katie doesn't hold back on why figures like Peter Thiel and Trae Stephens want to buy or dismantle WIRED, why so much of Silicon Valley turned toward Trump, and what serious tech journalism looks like in 2026.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Tech Wants to Control WIRED
01:27 Meet Katie Drummond
02:43 Surviving the Gawker Bankruptcy
04:34 Trae Stephens Wants to Buy WIRED
06:28 Why WIRED Got More Skeptical of Tech
09:19 Covering Upstarts, Not Giants
12:21 AI Regulation Debate
17:21 Opinion, Voice, and Journalism
24:11 Heroes Joy and Media Role
29:42 Journalists Under Fire
29:53 Debate Culture and Accountability
30:18 Death Threats and DMs
31:16 Why Tech Elites Dodge Hard Questions
33:07 Did Media Push Tech Toward MAGA?
36:21 AI's Democratizing Promise vs. Reality
41:36 Love Hate Tech Relationship
44:50 WIRED's AI Policy and Closing Thoughts
Listen to Katie's podcast Uncanny Valley: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncanny-valley-wired/id266391367
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