Casey Newton
Also known as Platformer, Hard Fork
Casey Newton is a technology journalist and the founder and editor of Platformer. He writes about AI, social networks and the companies that control digital platforms. After studying journalism at Northwestern, he worked at the San Francisco Chronicle, CNET and The Verge. His Interface newsletter began at The Verge in 2017. He launched Platformer in 2020 as an independent publication built around reporting and analysis. Newton and Kevin Roose started Hard Fork in 2022 and made AI a central subject as public use of chatbots grew. They left that show in September 2026 and announced Machine Gods with NPR. Its podcast debut is planned for the week of 19 October 2026.
- Now at
- Platformer
Timeline
-
2002
Training for a newsroom
Newton graduated from Northwestern’s journalism program in 2002. In a later interview with its alumni magazine, he recalled work on the student newspaper as preparation for reporting. His first career steps grew from newsroom practice and daily decisions about what readers needed to know.
-
Before Platformer
Covering the technology business
Newton worked at the San Francisco Chronicle, CNET and The Verge. Over these newsroom years, he followed the companies that shaped online life. The work provided a base for a publication focused on how technology platforms make decisions and use their power.
-
2020
Building Platformer
Newton launched Platformer in 2020. He made it an independent publication about technology, platforms and democracy. The move put his reporting in a smaller publication with its own subscribers and editorial decisions, and gave him room to follow stories over time.
-
2023 onward
Making AI a central subject
The arrival of ChatGPT changed the subjects Newton and Roose covered on Hard Fork. AI became a major part of their conversations, while Platformer continued to report on the companies behind it. Newton’s work joined company reporting with public tests of emerging products.
-
September–October 2026
Announcing Machine Gods
In September 2026, Newton and Roose left Hard Fork and announced Machine Gods in partnership with NPR. They planned a podcast debut for the week of 19 October and a radio version in early 2027. As of 11 October, that debut remains upcoming.
Sources and credits
Photo: Courtesy of Casey Newton; photographer not stated. License: Not stated by source. Source: cnewton.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.