The platforms where most people spend most of their time are being flooded with content, much of it increasingly automated, increasingly indistinguishable, and increasingly optimized for volume over meaning. AI has dramatically lowered the cost of producing content, thereby accelerating the commoditization of audience attention.
Over the last year, something fundamental has shifted in the media and marketing ecosystem.
Even the platforms themselves are acknowledging the challenge. In a recent post, Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted that AI-generated content is becoming increasingly difficult to parse and that it will likely take years for platforms and audiences to fully grapple with the implications. That’s a striking admission from one of the largest content distribution systems in the world.
At the same time, audiences are telling us something equally important. Research from Pew shows that three-quarters of audiences say it’s important to know whether content was made by AI, yet only 1 in 10 people feel confident they can tell the difference. That gap between importance and certainty is the trust deficit brands now operate inside.
When even the platforms say it will take years to untangle AI-generated content and audiences say they care deeply about what’s real but can’t tell, trust becomes the scarcest resource in marketing.
At Vox Media, we’ve always centered talented creators, invested in strong franchises and IP, and developed communities, both online and IRL. As this new era of discovery, trust, and brand-building takes shape, we’re sharpening how we will work with our brand partners to leverage our talent and IP to deliver on their goals.
How we’re evolving at Vox Media
At Vox Media, we have leading publishing and podcasting businesses. Over the past couple of years, each has evolved into distinct growth engines, with unique audiences, formats, and commercial opportunities.
To capitalize on our opportunity, we’ve redesigned our advertising organization so that each business is optimized for what it does best. Each business – publishing and podcast – now has a dedicated advertising team to serve our partners’ needs, with dedicated sellers, strategists, and execution teams aligned to it.
This isn’t about fragmentation. It’s about focus.
When content is everywhere, context matters. When everything looks the same, trust becomes the advantage. And when attention is fleeting, brands need partners who understand not just how to reach audiences, but how to activate them and resonate with them.
That’s where strong media brands, distinctive talent, and durable franchises earn their value. They create environments where ideas break through. Where integrations feel additive, not interruptive. Where brands can show up as relevant instead of as noise.
But delivering on that promise requires depth: a deep understanding of the audience, the brand, the creative, and the partner’s desired outcomes. We’ll achieve this depth through our teams, which are now dedicated to the publishing and podcasting businesses.
Publishing business
Our premium publishing portfolio is led by culture-defining editorial brands, including New York, Vulture, The Cut, The Strategist, Eater, Popsugar, The Verge, Vox, The Dodo, and SB Nation. Beloved brands that don’t chase attention, but shape and create it.
This year alone:
- The Cut just wrapped its first-ever Golden Globes Brunch and will soon roll out its annual Spring Fashion Issue and surrounding coverage.
- Vulture is gearing up for its first annual, multi-platform Reality Masterminds issue and event that centers the most important figures in reality television history.
- Eater and Popsugar continue to see massive social growth, while Eater further expands into live events. Eater’s Let’s Do Lunch — featuring guests like the Jonas Brothers, Kate McKinnon, and Andy Samberg — is averaging over 6 million views per episode.
- The Dodo’s Dream Date, now entering its third year, continues to draw over 4 million views per episode, with guests like Millie Bobby Brown, Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Pine, alongside newer hits like Dodo Digs, averaging 6 million views.
- SB Nation recently debuted a new community-focused site experience, deepening engagement ahead of the biggest sports moments of 2026.
From sports to fashion, food to technology, Vox Media’s publishing brands bring human judgment, context, and taste to discovery, revealing what audiences didn’t yet know they were searching for.
Podcasting business
The Vox Media Podcast Network is now the #1 independent podcast network, home to some of the largest and most critically acclaimed franchises in the world.
Our shows from top talent span business, culture, technology, sports, and entertainment, and increasingly operate as omnichannel media franchises. This year:
- We’ve announced the return of the Vox Media Podcast Stage at SXSW, featuring shows like On with Kara Swisher, Prof G Markets, Waveform, Tefi Talks, and more.
- We’re expanding partnerships with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird around major cultural moments and sporting events.
- Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, who debuted their show Pivot on YouTube last year and completed the Pivot Live tour across the country, continue to meet their massive fan base wherever they are.
- We’ll launch at least six new shows in the coming months with partners including Maria Sharapova, Seth Matlins, and more.
Creators no longer start and stop on social platforms. They build communities across audio, video, social, and live experiences to build direct connections to their fans. Vox Media has become the home of choice for talent with influence, authority, and expertise, built on a foundation of trust and quality.
What this unlocks for marketers
So, as of today, we’ll operate with two independent advertising organizations, servicing our publishing and podcasting businesses, working with our partners to ensure brands can stand out and develop meaningful relationships with audiences.
For our partners, this evolution is designed to deliver real, practical advantages:
- Deeper collaboration with our brands and franchises.
- More bespoke ideas rooted in audience engagement, not templates.
- Stronger execution for integrated programs that span brands, talent, and experiences.
- Clearer outcomes, built around relevance and impact.
In the months ahead, marketers should expect even more integrated, custom work across our brands and talent; the kind of partnerships that are increasingly hard to replicate in a feed-first, AI-saturated world.
As AI continues to reshape how content is created and distributed, the brands that dare to be human in places where real people are having real conversations will earn a trust premium. They’ll be the ones investing in context, creativity, originality, and meaningful connection.
That’s where premium media brands and distinctive talent earn their place, and that’s what we’re building toward at Vox Media.
Ryan Pauley,
President, Vox Media
