Description
Semafor is a news website founded in 2022 by Ben Smith, a former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News and media columnist at The New York Times, and Justin B. Smith, the former CEO of Bloomberg Media Group.
The New York Times has called Semafor a "global news organization". Vox has described Semafor as "a collection of newsletters, plus a website, aimed at an upscale audience that understands topics like Washington politics and Silicon Valley tech but wants more". The website is free to access and supported by advertisements, though Semafor's co-founders have described plans to convert to a paid subscription model. The organization is based in New York City.
The name "Semafor" is derived from the word "semaphore", which "appears in similar form in many languages". According to The New York Times, "semaphore" is "often used in a nautical context" and can be described as "a visual signaling apparatus often involving flags, lights and arm gestures". The co-founders appreciated that the word "sounds about the same in thirty-five languages".
