Marc Andreessen on how the internet changed news, politics, and outrage | The a16z Show

Erik Torenberg and Theo Jaffee speak with Marc Andreessen, cofounder and general partner at a16z, about the launch of Monitoring the Situation (https://www.youtube.com/mtsituation) a new, always-on media network on X. They discuss the rise of the “current thing,” how narratives spread in real time, and why internet-native media is reshaping politics, culture, and attention. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:36 - The CNN "Random Ammonium" Origin Story 05:18 - The Internet Reinvented Random Ammonium 10:02 - If It's on the Internet, It's a Viral Meme 17:25 - Is Political Polarization Overstated? 29:48 - What Makes Something "The Current Thing" 39:04 - Ops, Availability Entrepreneurs & Dark Money 52:38 - Legacy Media vs New Media & The First True Internet Election Resources: Follow Marc X: https://x.com/pmarca Follow Eric on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Follow Theo on X: https://x.com/theojaffee Follow MTS on X: https://x.com/MTSlive Check out MTS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mtsituation Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Marc AndreessenguestErik Torenberghost

Apr 22, 20261h 5mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 22, 2026
Duration: 1h 5m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Erik Torenberg and Theo Jaffee speak with Marc Andreessen, cofounder and general partner at a16z, about the launch of Monitoring the Situation (https://www.youtube.com/mtsituation) a new, always-on media network on X. They discuss the rise of the “current thing,” how narratives spread in real time, and why internet-native media is reshaping politics, culture, and attention. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:36 - The CNN "Random Ammonium" Origin Story 05:18 - The Internet Reinvented Random Ammonium 10:02 - If It's on the Internet, It's a Viral Meme 17:25 - Is Political Polarization Overstated? 29:48 - What Makes Something "The Current Thing" 39:04 - Ops, Availability Entrepreneurs & Dark Money 52:38 - Legacy Media vs New Media & The First True Internet Election Resources: Follow Marc X: https://x.com/pmarca Follow Eric on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Follow Theo on X: https://x.com/theojaffee Follow MTS on X: https://x.com/MTSlive Check out MTS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mtsituation Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.

SPEAKERS

Marc Andreessen
guest
Co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and Netscape; technology investor and former software entrepreneur.
Erik Torenberg
host
Host/interviewer on the a16z Show (and related a16z podcasts), covering tech, media, and politics.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Marc Andreessen and Erik Torenberg, Marc Andreessen on how the internet changed news, politics, and outrage | The a16z Show explores marc Andreessen explains how internet media reshaped outrage and politics Andreessen traces CNN’s founding idea of “randomonium”—continuous coverage of the most compelling breaking story—and argues the internet has scaled this into perpetual “current thing” cycles.

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