We will embrace rising power of individual journalism: Semafor co-founder

For readers, breaking news and opinion separately are important, said Smith

Why would anyone come up with a news start-up when news and journalism are under pressure globally? That, among other things, is what Justin Smith, co-founder of Semafor, answered in conversation with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar in Mumbai. Semafor, derived from semaphore, means a carrier of signal. And, it means that in 35 different languages. It plans to be a premium global news organisation that Smith and The New York Times ex-media columnist Ben Smith set up earlier this year. Edited excerpts:

Why Semafor, why now?

The whole project is a culmination of my years in media from the International Herald Tribune in Hong