1 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, where we speak 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: with some of the brightest minds working in the media 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: business today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with Variety. I'm really curious 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: to see how the political conventions are going to play 5 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: out when they begin next week here in the US. 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: The pandemic will certainly mean a very different kind of 7 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: coverage than we're used to everywhere, from TV networks to 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: social media, including Snapchat. Home base for my next guest, 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: Peter Hamby, is the host of that platform's daily political program, 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: Good Luck America. I'm happy to have him here to 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: talk about this Bonker's presidential race and Snapchats place in it. 12 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for making time today, Peter, Yeah, thanks for having me. So, 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: if this were a normal year, you might already be 14 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: in Milwaukee the side of the d n C. But 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: thanks to the virus this year, there's no convention floor, 16 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: no confetti falling on the frenzy crowds. So tell me 17 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: what can viewers at home even expect to see in 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: the absence of the usual spectacle. Yeah, no, you're right. 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: I mean, like I, my lifeblood is traveling and covering 20 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: this stuff and I and I also personally love Milwaukee 21 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: randomly like some good hotels. Spotted Cow beer is great, 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: so I would have loved to be there. Um. Look, 23 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: you know, from my conversations with the d n c 24 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: UH convention organizers, you know, people my old friends at 25 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: CNN and other places, you know, I think what we're 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: just going to have to expect is something extremely boring. 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: I mean, with all due respect to the convention planners 28 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: who are trying to make the convention you know, fun 29 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: and virtual, and they're trying to innovate. Um, it's going 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: to end up looking like a bunch of speeches live 31 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: streamed on television. I mean, that's just what it's going 32 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: to look like. And I think we shouldn't overthink it 33 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: and overcomplicated. It's going to be a lot of dry, 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: boring speeches, just sort of live streamed. Um. Does that 35 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: have any implications for the race though, because sometimes the 36 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: convention was the place where this candidate got a boost 37 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: or that candidate dropped. Yeah. No, there's typically a convention 38 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: boost in UH for in the polls for one candidate 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: or the other. But that's pretty ephemeral. Um, A lot 40 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: of a lot of there are a lot of atmospheric 41 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: things that happened in a campaign UM debates the selection 42 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: of the vice presidential pick convention um, and they can 43 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: lead to a sugar high. You know. I was covering 44 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: Sarah Palin when she was announced in St. Paul in 45 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: two eight, and McCain jumped like four or five points 46 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: in the polls, but a leveled out because they're just fundamentals. 47 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: And the fundamentals of this race are that Donald Trump 48 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: is deeply unpopular, that the pandemic is such a drag 49 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: on you know, him, and the economy, that Joe Biden 50 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: is winning nationally anywhere from six to ten points, and 51 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: then this wing states from due to six points in 52 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: places like Arizona and Texas or now swing states, which 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: is wild. Um. So the fundamentals are what they are. 54 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: And I would say that the conventions, uh, you know, 55 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: and with all the respect to a lot of my 56 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: friends who are working in politics and immersed in this stuff, 57 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: they're kind of boring in the first place and didn't 58 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: matter that much in the first place. Um. You know, 59 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: I think Donald Trump in sixteen was such a you know, 60 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: charismatic lightning rod that everyone wanted to hang on his 61 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: every word and his you know, people watched his convention, 62 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: um Hillary and him both had about forty million viewers. 63 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: I mean, Andy, I would be surprised if this commence. 64 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: These conventions got sorry, the dumb one at least got 65 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: half of that, right. I just think people are less 66 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: interested in horse race politics and the atmospherics of the 67 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: campaign trail right now, and are way more concerned with 68 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: their health and the economy and their personal lives and 69 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: staying at home. And a lot of people have just 70 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: kind of rendered a verdict on Trump and are ready 71 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: for this kind of thing to be over. I would say, 72 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: like the VP pick like will get some excitement for 73 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: a few weeks, but it might not even matter that 74 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: much either. You know. That's just people just kind of 75 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: want the election to happen, and the usual ups and 76 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: downs of a campaign are just not being covered, and 77 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: they're not being followed except by the obsessives. Well, it 78 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: just seems like the coverage to date, and I assume 79 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: up until November is Trump Trump, Trump and Biden seeming 80 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: to deliberately hang back. Any reason to think it will 81 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: be any different as we, I guess head to the 82 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: beginning of the home stretch. I don't think so. I 83 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: really don't. I think you're smart to say that he's 84 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: deliberately doing that, because there was an early take in 85 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: the press that you know, Biden was trapped in his basement, 86 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: how will he be able to campaign? And again, back 87 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: in March and April, we didn't really We thought maybe 88 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: the you know, health scare might recede at some point 89 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: in the fall and Biden would be able to get 90 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: back out there. I think they are realizing that just 91 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: kind of a do no harm campaign is actually working. 92 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: I mean, every every piece of evidence points to that. Um. 93 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: The entire political environment, with or without the pandemic was 94 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: was about Donald Trump and Biden being a safe alternative, 95 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: which was his bet going into the primarias even before 96 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: coronavirus turned out to be actually pretty sharp. UM. And 97 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: so I don't I don't see that changing. I think 98 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: this has disrupted, um, the sort of usual strategies of 99 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: a campaign, and kind of an interesting and useful way 100 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: if you work in politics, right like why you know, people, 101 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: you definitely lose access to voters and local media markets 102 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 1: when you can't travel little Columbus, Ohio in Las Vegas 103 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: and do these campaign rallies. But you know, increasingly. Unlike 104 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: state and local campaigns, presidential campaigns were already virtual. They 105 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: were already happening on your screens at all times. It 106 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: was all about who could command attention in in the 107 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: era of social media and earned media. And you know, 108 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: do you need to be out there shaking hands every 109 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: day when you can just zoom into Raleigh and do 110 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: some local TV um, you know back you know, in 111 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: the in the veeps, in the veep stakes chatter. A 112 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: criticism of Susan Rice was that she couldn't she hasn't 113 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: run a campaign before, and that would be a challenge 114 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: for her. And I remember reading a column in l 115 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: A Times about that and thinking, what campaign trail right? 116 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: Like like, it's clear that you don't necessarily need to 117 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: be traveling and meeting voters and being on the road 118 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: to win a campaign. The thing that's lost, of course, 119 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: is voter contact, which is incredibly important right now. People 120 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: aren't really you know, amped to answer their doors when 121 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: people knock and ask them if they're supporting Biden her rump. Uh. So, 122 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: campaigns need to innovate and find ways to reach voters. 123 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: But I don't see the campaign changing that much between 124 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: over the next few months. Well, and what about the 125 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 1: John Cable News. Because you come to this, you've been 126 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,799 Speaker 1: at SNAP now for over five years, you come from CNN. 127 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: You have that background. When you look at your former employer, 128 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: cable news in general, how much has it changed from 129 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: when you were there last When you when you see 130 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: the Trump centric coverage, do you see it as appropriate 131 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: or as others criticize it for focusing too much on 132 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: him to boost ratings. Honestly, I think it's more a 133 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: louder like I I don't think it's any surprise that 134 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: in the last four years we've seen on all cable 135 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: networks a move away from uh, sort of in the 136 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: field news coverage back to sort of the panel focused chatter, 137 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: right Like an a block of a cable news show 138 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: will generally be like roundup of the news. Then they'll 139 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: bring in some guests in prime time. It's increasingly you 140 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: know four people or you know six people in some 141 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: cases arguing with each other. There there's deliberate provocations thrown 142 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: in the mix. Um, you know. I remember I was 143 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: in South Carolina for the primaries this year, and I 144 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: remember seeing a CNN photographer. I did a hit on 145 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: CNN with John King UH, which is one of my 146 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: favorite shows. He's one of my favorite guys there, and 147 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: he was sort of observed to me that there were 148 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: no satellite trucks down in the state in South Carolina. 149 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: And to put that in context, I had covered two 150 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: previous presidential campaigns with CNN, and you go to Iowa, 151 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: good New Hampshire, go to Ohio, wherever CNN will be 152 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: all in on this stuff. Um, they would have reporters 153 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: in the field on primary nights, on election nights that 154 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: have a bunch of satellite trucks and on these states 155 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: to support their reporting cast out in the field, and 156 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: this time they only had a couple. The rest were 157 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: down in UM Charleston doing these big CNN town halls, 158 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: which have actually been really educational and the ratings drivers 159 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: for CNN UM and it's been a good innovation on 160 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: their part. But UH, it just represented to me that 161 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: a lot of the energy, UH and of coverage was 162 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: just going through the studios and panels at the bureau 163 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: in New York in DC and not in the field. 164 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: And I think that's you know, there are some exceptions. Obviously, 165 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: the anti racism protests that erupted recently it was a 166 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: real showcase of reporting muscle from CNN and MSNBC. I 167 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: had plenty of friends who are out in the field 168 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: covering those things. But yeah, I mean it's just everything 169 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: reverts back to Trump all the time. And you saw 170 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: that in early phases of the pandemic, when this was 171 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: a story about public health and uh, you know, the 172 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: chaos that this virus was reaking on not just this 173 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: country but the world. But it very quickly became on 174 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: cable TV like a Trump story, like what has he done? 175 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: And you can't separate Trump from the coronavirus, of course, 176 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: But I noticed early on a big lack of stories 177 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: that a lot of these TV networks were equipped to cover, 178 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: going to different countries, different parts, you know, of the world, 179 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: sort of showcase how this was impacting real humans and 180 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: not just the politics of it. Um. So that's you know, 181 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: cable news has always been about politics. It was when 182 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: I worked there. But I do think Trump is still 183 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: the the puppet master of these places in a lot 184 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: of ways. Well, of course, now you're you're sitting and 185 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: covering this from a very different seat at Snapchat with 186 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: your show good Luck America. I want to give listeners 187 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: a taste of that. So let's just listen to a 188 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: clip here. Dr Anthony Faucci is America's point man on 189 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: the science of coronavirus. Yes, I mean obviously. Today he 190 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: joined us on good Luck America to talk COVID nineteen 191 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: conspiracy theories and whether football season is actually going to 192 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: happen blue. Hey, Dr Fauci, the first thing I want 193 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: to ask you about is there's this theory spreading around 194 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: the Internet that five G towers are weakening the immune 195 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: system and forcing people to get COVID nineteen poisons. Yeah, 196 00:10:54,600 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: that's easy. That's thoroughly preposterous, untrue, and actually ridiculous. So 197 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: for good Luck America, for those who have not seen it, 198 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: how would you describe your approach because it is very 199 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: different from a lot of the political programming out there, 200 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: primarily because you're speaking to snapchats gen z crowd. Yeah, 201 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: and that there that that cuts two ways. So in 202 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: the United States, Snapchat reaches of all thirteen year olds, right, 203 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: So sometimes people talk about millennials, like, I think our 204 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 1: audience is more primarily gen Z. It's it's young, um. 205 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: And when I started at Snapchat in presidential campaign was 206 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,359 Speaker 1: happening then. Uh, and that's sort of when we conceived 207 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: of the show. Um, you know, through some conversations with 208 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: Shawn Mills, my boss who runs content for us. It's 209 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: now just started to think about what a show would 210 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: look like on a mobile screen. And you know, mobile 211 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: video and social media, that stuff had been out there, 212 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 1: but you know, no one had really thought deeply about 213 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: how to make it really engaging for vertical screen and 214 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 1: to fit inside Snapchat, which is really tactile. You can 215 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: swipe around and swipe up and like you're competing with 216 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: attention for your best friends, right, Like that's what Snapchat is. 217 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: So the show has to really grab you. Um. So 218 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: the kind of interesting thing we found when we're piloting 219 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: the show and shooting it again way back at the 220 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: end of out in Iowa during the last campaign, was 221 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: the format itself has to change drastically. We were shooting 222 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: in vertical video to the point which was confusing for 223 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: other cameramen who are out in the field with us 224 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: in that campaign. We're telling my crew that their cameras 225 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: were tilted sideways. Are like, yeah, I know, man, that's 226 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: what we're doing on purpose. Um, So, you know, pacing music, humor. 227 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: A lot of things that in the again attention economy 228 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: of the internet needs to happen to grab a viewer 229 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 1: are really important for our show. But the other thing 230 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: that we found is there's just not a lot of 231 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: trust out there in the world. Um. And that's true 232 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: for many things. It's true of universities, it's true of churches, 233 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 1: it's true of politics. Uh, and it's true of the 234 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 1: news media. And Uh. We have really worked hard to 235 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: kind of develop a lot of trust with our viewers. 236 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 1: And part of that is, you know, I I'm probably 237 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: maybe I'm one of the older hosts on Snapchat, but 238 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: I do bring credibility to the table. I can book 239 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: guests like Joe Biden and Anthony Fauci and Lindsey Graham 240 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: and Ted Cruz from both parties. I have experience covering politics. Um. 241 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: But I tried to at least talk like a normal 242 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: human being. Uh. And that was my m O back 243 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: at CNN was how do you explain stuff that sounds 244 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: kind of opaque and noisy to your grandma, to your 245 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: you know, seventeen year old cousin. Most people, most people 246 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: in this country do not follow politics in the way 247 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,559 Speaker 1: that you and I do, and the way that Twitter 248 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: users do. And I fundamentally held on to that for 249 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: a very long time, and I ink that it's snap Um. 250 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: This goes back to one of my very first conversations 251 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: with Evan Spiegeler founder. There's just this belief that a 252 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: lot of people using Snapchat are young. They're accessing the 253 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 1: world through their phones and through Snapchat, and you can't 254 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: talk down to them. Um. And at the same time, 255 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: you can't be like that Steve Bushemy gift where he 256 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: shows up in the school with the skateboard and he's like, 257 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: how do you do fellow kids? Just this is this 258 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: is a sort of a word that's become a little 259 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: bit of a fetish and news and talent world, but like, 260 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: you just have to be authentic. You just have to 261 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: be yourself. There's been times when I've been shooting in 262 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: an episode and my producer like asked me to say 263 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: some word like like lit or savage, right, which is 264 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: maybe the vernacular of that generation at least a few 265 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: years ago. But that's not a word I Peter would 266 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: normally say, and they just I went back to talking 267 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: like a normally would. Um, we should point out by 268 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: the way, you're thirty eight, which is relatively young. Let's 269 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: also be honest, you might as well be Methuselah given 270 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: Snapchat's demographic. Thanks for calling me out. Uh. I have 271 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: one other note on that, though, which is, you know, 272 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: I was just looking at this yesterday. People sort of 273 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: think young folks are um, you know, radical, or you know, 274 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: they only care about climate change and like marijuana, and 275 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: it's just not true. Um. Young people are incredibly earnest. 276 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: They are very skeptical politics, and like very much more 277 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: disassociated with political parties than older generations. Um. At the 278 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: same time, the top issues for quote unquote young people 279 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: are healthcare, in the economy. Um, it takes different forms, right. 280 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: I try to on my show talk a lot about 281 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: things right now, like debt and rent evictions. Right, those 282 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: are things that I think young people care about, um, 283 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: you know, going back to school, college campuses. But those 284 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: are under the umbrella of the economy. It's not just 285 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: doing shows about you know, Bernie Sanders and you know, uh, 286 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: Greta Tunberg, like those are things that are important, but 287 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: they're just of a piece. Uh. You know. We we 288 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: interviewed Anthony Faucci, Joe Biden, Um, you know, this week 289 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: we had an interview up with Jamie Harrison, who's running 290 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: for Senate in South Carolina against Lindsey Graham. You know, 291 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: these are things that would appear on national news too, 292 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: they just have a different look and feel about them. Well, 293 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: anyone who's making a career out of trying to connect 294 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: with young people about something as important but challenging for 295 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: them to follow us politics. As far as I'm concerned, 296 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: that's you're doing the Lord's work. But you know, in 297 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: terms of at the end of the day, you're I 298 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: still think you're kind of serving spinach on a platform that, 299 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 1: with all due respect, is a candy shop. So is 300 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: there a risk that you can sort of, you know, 301 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: mash the bitter pill a little too much to the 302 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: point where it's it's not neutral shows anymore. Yeah, that's 303 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: a fair question. I mean, like and I think like 304 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: all of media, you know, Discover has it's fun stuff 305 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: and the stuff you want to share and talk about 306 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: with your friends. Um, and uh, you know, more serious stuff. 307 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,479 Speaker 1: My dad always talked about. My parents both worked in 308 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: television news as well, and growing up in the house, 309 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: we would always have long you know, the local news 310 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: in Richmond, Virginia, and then like NBC Nightly News, and 311 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: then what comes on after that, it's like Entertainment Tonight 312 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: and Access Hollywood and like that's dessert. Like that's the 313 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 1: stuff my my parents would would watch too, and that's 314 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: fair like not like everyone has their interests beyond the spinach. Uh. 315 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: So again, I think that we really try to make 316 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: this stuff not entertaining, but just a little more accessible. 317 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: I know we're competing for attention with other platforms that 318 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: you know, sorry, other content that might be more interesting 319 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: in the moment, and like the Daily Mail and ESPN 320 00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: and BuzzFeed are all right there coexisting alongside. Good Luck America. Um. 321 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 1: But you know, we reached ten million people on election 322 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: night in that's a huge number. NBC News Stay tuned 323 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,120 Speaker 1: does very very well. That's NBC News is news show. Again, 324 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: I do think there is a This is something I've 325 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: noticed a little different too from the election of Donald Trump. 326 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: UM activated young people into politics on on in both 327 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: political parties and in neither political party. But there's kind 328 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: of like an earnestness and seriousness about politics now that 329 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: I detect among viewers versus when I first started, when 330 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: I first started, and frankly, the tone of the show 331 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: was like this too. Politics was still sort of a 332 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 1: little bit of a game and a circus, right, Like 333 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: that show on Showtime is called the Circus Um still, 334 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: which feels kind of cynical actually, but that's how a 335 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: lot of us in political media covered politics before Donald 336 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: Trump came along. Now people do want to know about 337 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: um immigration reform, and they do want to know about 338 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: social justice, like these are things that are part and 339 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: parcel with people's lives. You know. Uh, some days, sure, 340 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: we'll do a show and it won't do as well 341 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: as we like, and then some day, as we do 342 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: a show, four million people watch it. Um, Good Luck 343 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: America has two points over two point three million subscribers, 344 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: and we do it daily. Like that's a not insignificant 345 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: amount of people who are tuning in to hear about polls, 346 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 1: and they're tuning in to hear about activism, and they're 347 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: tuning in to hear about um you know these days 348 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 1: like you know, Joe Biden and swing states like those 349 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: are things that used to be very nerdy and now 350 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: they're kind of mainstream. Um. So I'm confident just based 351 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 1: on the fact that I'm still here and doing this, 352 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: and people are watching that. There's a hunger for this 353 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: stuff alongside things that are fun, which is normal. I mean, 354 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: like we all want escapism from this moment too, sure, 355 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: and Snap's got plenty of that. A lot of other 356 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: digital platforms have that. You know, you talk about the 357 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: scale of your show of the platform. It's interesting, you know, 358 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: I think people have sort of lost sight, frankly, of 359 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: how big Snap is. It's got more daily users in 360 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: Twitter and TikTok combined. I mean, but it seems to 361 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: have a lower profile, and it's almost in a good 362 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: way because I think it's avoided a lot of the 363 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: controversies that have engulfed the big tech platforms. How do 364 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: you describe the perch that Snap is? Does it differ 365 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: in any way from the other digital platforms? How's it 366 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: really kind of escaped the harsh glare that a lot 367 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: of the other digital platforms seem to be under right now. Like, 368 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: I agree with you that I want to get into 369 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: that that we are sort of forgotten in some ways. Again, 370 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: this is more like a press insider thing, um, But 371 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: I don't think we've escaped attention or notoriety. UM. On 372 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 1: some of the misinformation, sort of fake news, privacy safety 373 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: stuff that other platforms have because we're sort of forgotten. 374 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: It's because I think we have the right values around 375 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: these things. I mean, there's nothing like stopping these subcommittees 376 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: on the Hill from pulling Snapchat up in front of 377 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: them to testify. We don't get caught up there because 378 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: we don't have the same problems the other platforms do. 379 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:22,640 Speaker 1: You know. Part of that is the way the platform 380 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: is constructed. You know, it's not it's it's constructed to 381 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: be sort of a more at least on the on 382 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: the quote unquote social media side, more connective between your 383 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 1: close friends rather than broadcasting outwards, so we're not suffering 384 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: from the kind of like algorithmic virality problems that other 385 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: people are um And then on the other side, on Discovery, 386 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: we've taken like a curated approach to news and content. 387 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: We work with trusted partners, not just in news but 388 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: in media. We act as gatekeepers for them and we 389 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: work with them to make sure the content is not 390 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 1: only good and compelling, but it follows our guidelines. And 391 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: you don't see that with the other platforms who are 392 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: just sort of playing whack a mole according to the 393 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: news cycle and whatever happens to them outside. Um, so again, 394 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: I'm a journalist. I came here from CNN after a decade. 395 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: There's a reason I came to work here. Wasn't just 396 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: like to work at a cool tech company. Is because 397 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: I believed in the vision around news and content and 398 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: the idea of what I just said earlier, that we 399 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: have a unique opportunity to reach an entire generation of 400 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: people that are disconnected from news cycles. That adults are, older, 401 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 1: folks are rather and we've put in play certain guardrails 402 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: around that content to make sure that it's safe and trustworthy. 403 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: So that is great, and that's that's that's the reason 404 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: I think we have escaped, like escaped or not seeing 405 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: a lot of scrutiniess because I think we're doing things 406 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: right now. To the first point you made, like I 407 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: think that, Yeah, you know, twenty teenen when Snapchat was 408 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: scaling rapidly when I joined, Um, there was a ton 409 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: of press coverage and attention and scrutiny on Snapchat and 410 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: people call it at the Snapchat election and all that 411 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: stuff is pretty silly. But um, you know, I think 412 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: snap has has grown into a mature smart company now. 413 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: And maybe that because it's you know, almost you know, 414 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 1: nine years old, it's not as interesting to people anymore. 415 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: And then you see Quimby and TikTok and all these 416 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 1: new things bling. I mean, the new thing is always 417 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: the sexy thing and the fun thing. But you know again, 418 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: I'm happy to position ourselves against against those two companies 419 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: in particular. I mean, on on the TikTok side, we 420 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: have uh, you know, values that I just articulated around 421 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: misinformation versus TikTok, which is just drowning and conspiracy theories 422 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: like hard line directly in some millions of teenage brains 423 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 1: every day, right like almost ninety million views on the 424 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 1: hashtag pizza gate a few weeks ago. Conspiracies about five 425 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,959 Speaker 1: G That stuff is rampant on TikTok despite all the 426 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: press they get about like hype houses. Um. And then 427 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: you know, you know, on the Quippy front, um, I 428 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: have lots of friends who worked there. But you know, 429 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 1: this is the point of personal privilege. But we've been 430 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: we've been thinking about mobile content for years now, you know, 431 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: like the way they were a position was you know, 432 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: we are going to you know, really innovate around mobile content. 433 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: We've been doing that, Like we've had a focus group 434 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: of you know, over two million daily users every day 435 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: telling us what works and what doesn't. And you know, 436 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: through the pandemic is a good example. Like we've been 437 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: really timely and really topical about what our audience wants. 438 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: You know, Will Smith made a show for us. It 439 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: had over thirty eight million views from his garage. You know, 440 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: I have been doing my show from here in my 441 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: office in Venice UM. But we still books Joe biden 442 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: And and Anthony Fauci on our show, UM really funny 443 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: show called Apocalypse Goals about you know, two girls, uh, 444 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: you know, on the loose during an apocalypse. But like, 445 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: I think, we've just been very mindful of what our 446 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: audience wants, and we are very clever and nimble so 447 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: we can move fast and create content around things that 448 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: are happening in the world. Well, besides content, we should 449 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: also announce we should also note that Snap just announced 450 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: last week some features to the app aimed at not 451 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: just driving but simplifying vote A registration. So explain how 452 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: that works. Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm really proud of 453 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: the team that built this UM basically, starting in September, 454 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: you're going to be able to not only register to 455 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: vote inside Snapchat, UH, you will be able to request 456 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: a mail in ballot. UM. You will be able to 457 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: make a plan to vote. UH. These are hugely important 458 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: things at a time when registering a vote, first of all, 459 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: is not as easy as people think it is. Ah, 460 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: it can be really complicated. It turns out, let alone 461 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: figure out how to request an absentee ballot. Um Inen. 462 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: We helped almost half a million people registered a vote UM, 463 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: and we decided to ramp it up this cycle, UM 464 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 1: because the stakes are high, you know, whichever side of 465 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,719 Speaker 1: the equation you're on, and we want to make it 466 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: easy for people to get engaged with the world and 467 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: if you can, you know, use Snapchat to request a ballot, 468 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: I mean that we have there. There's there are hundreds 469 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: of thousands of people turning eighteen in this country every month, 470 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: and we are right in the palm of their hands. 471 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: So UM, I would say though the back to are 472 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: conversation like it just sort of dubtails with our approach 473 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: to content. We just want to help bring um this generation, 474 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: you know, into into the political universe and the political 475 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: conversation and uh, you know, the appropriate, trusted, credible way, 476 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: like that's just what we do and how we think. Well, 477 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: you're also you know, Snap is touching lives in what 478 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: is probably going to be the issue, the crucial issue 479 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: as we get towards the election, every vote is going 480 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: to matter. Malin is going to be absolutely crucial. Do 481 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: you think that? Is it? To me? It seems undoubted 482 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: that as we get to November and beyond that this 483 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: is going to be issue one and everything is going 484 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,199 Speaker 1: to fade away because this is going to be a 485 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: contested election. I could just feel it. Yeah, I mean there. 486 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:48,959 Speaker 1: I think the press has actually done a pretty good 487 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: job in the last week or so of sounding this 488 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: alarm that the traditional cable news like Election Night in 489 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: America kind of thing where you can render a verdict 490 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 1: very quickly, you know, well relatively like in a few hours, 491 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: could be in jeopardy. Um. And you know there are 492 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: look at New York's twelfth congressional district primary. This didn't 493 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 1: get a lot of attention weirdly, um, but they voted, 494 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: They had their primary in June. It took them six 495 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: weeks to count the votes. There were like some sixty 496 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: six thousand ballots were just like disqualified because he didn't 497 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: have a postmark. The state of New York didn't have 498 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: enough workers to count the avalanche of ballots that came in. 499 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: UM voting is not a federal exercise. It is conducted 500 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: by county and state election officials all over the country. 501 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: Is a patchwork of rules and laws. Uh. Several states 502 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: have expanded vote by mail to the point, like California 503 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: and Nevada they're sending people ballots directly. But yeah, I 504 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: was talking to someone who works in labor politics a 505 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 1: few weeks ago, and he was he was really worried. Right. 506 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: He's he's in the Democratic Coalition and and out there 507 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: in battleground states trying to do canvassing, getting people registered. 508 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 1: And his worry is that the election is closer than 509 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: it is now, which is entirely possible. And you know, 510 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: you have these states swing states that are on the margins, 511 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: and instead of one Push v. Gore, which was a 512 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: huge thing, you have five to ten Bush vigors in 513 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: different states. Because the Trump administration is filing different lawsuits 514 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: and the Biden campaign is filing lawsuits, and the stuff 515 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 1: isn't decided for for many months. So education is huge, 516 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: Like people need to understand that voting isn't easy, voting 517 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: by mail isn't easy, and they need to be patient 518 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: while these votes are counted. Um. The more the press 519 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: explains the that this could take longer, the less able 520 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: politicians will be able to demagogue the outcome and say 521 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: that it's fraud or it's stolen. Once people start to 522 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: understand that this is in the typical election, Um, then 523 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 1: I think people might feel better about it and it 524 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: could be a less of a chaotic outcome. Well, that's 525 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: a lot of red meat for for people like yourself 526 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: to chew on and your show Good Luck America also 527 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: should point out your writing as a contributor about politics 528 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: to Vanity Fair. Looking forward to reading and seeing more 529 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 1: of your continued coverage. Thanks for coming on the podcast, Peter, 530 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: Thanks and it great to be here. Thank you. This 531 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: has been another episode of Strictly Business. Tune in next 532 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: week for another helping of scintillating conversation with media movers 533 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: and shakers, and please make sure you subscribe to the 534 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: podcast to hear future episodes. Also leave a review in 535 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts and let us know how we're doing I think, 536 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: don't t