Chris Hayes make Attention is a way to earn a living: what deserves it, what does not, and how can you ensure that the public devotes their limited attention to the correct things?
It sounds easy enough. As I learned during our conversation, the season 2 premiere of The Big Interview podcastIt is becoming increasingly less. By 2025 the MS Now host will be gone. Chris Hayes – All In You can download the app here. The Sirens’ Call: How attention became the world’s most endangered resource—a book whose central thesis argues that attention has become the defining commodity of modern life.
Hayes is quite literally everywhere the audience spends time. He hosts a podcast, he gives his opinion on television, and he even has his own show. What is happening?Hayes is a master at both intellectually analyzing the attention economy and participating in it as an attention merchant himself. Hayes can both observe the attention-based economy as a scholar and also participate in this system himself.
Hayes was the person I most wanted to speak to, so it’s important that we talk now. After all, he has spent many years researching and creating theories about attention. In light of our current conditions, we would all do well to emulate him. Hayes had a lot to say about the impact of attention economies on everything from entertainment, elections, ICE raids, world wars etc.
Early March was the beginning of Israel and US’s war against Iran. It was already a focus of our attention in the early days. From news alerts and President Trump’s Truth Social to AI-generated Department of War propaganda, we were unable to ignore it. We had to talk about it—along with Hayes’ views on the uneasy alliance between Silicon Valley and Washington, DC, his social media strategy, and what the left is getting wrong about AI.
This interview has undergone editing to ensure clarity and length.
KATIE DRUMMOND : Chris Hayes welcome to Big Interview.
CHRIS HAYES We’re glad you are here. I love WIRED. Your work is amazing.
Thanks for your kind words
The book I wrote about WIRED is called “The Book”. My parents gave me the subscription. It was probably for Christmas. It was a total obsession. Each and every page.
Recently, I have been reflecting on WIRED’s past, present, as well as future. Early WIREDs had a countercultural, rebellious spirit. The WIRED that we’re running is a continuation of that spirit. But it’s aimed at an industry born out of that. 1993 WIRED.
Totally. It’s all about the insurgent and incumbent. The WIRED feel was Whole Earth ‘Lectronic LinkLike the big original bulletin board. Kind of post-hippie Cybernaut. It’s a little libertarian but it also has hints of the left. But, overall, this is a very optimistic utopian site that also takes umbrage with those in power. The powers-that-be are the same people who sat at the president’s inauguration.
Sure did. The answer is yes. we sure did cover that.
Insurgents are now directing their energy in another direction.
In New York, we’re seated. Early March, a Wednesday. Just a few short days earlier, the United States launched a full-scale attack against Iran. The situation has changed dramatically. It would be a mistake to not mention that it is President Trump’s second removal of a leader in this year. The first being Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. It’s terrifying what is going on in the Middle East. It’s sad. It’s sad. But it’s also another news cycle that is all-consuming. The pace is mind-numbing and brain-melting. In this discussion, we’ll spend quite a bit of time talking about the importance of attention. How much attention is involved in global conflicts and wars of this age?
