CBS pulling that interview is the clearest possible illustration of how authoritarian capture works without a single law being broken.
No government order. No official censorship. Just a corporation calculating that appeasing power is safer than defending journalism, and making the rational decision within a captured incentive structure. That’s how free press dies: not with a government shutdown order but with executives deciding access matters more than truth.
Colbert putting it on YouTube and getting massive numbers without corporate gatekeepers proves the audience is there.
The question is whether enough independent platforms can scale fast enough to replace legacy media that’s already decided compliance is the business model.
Keep these comments coming, Johan. They are a real contribution to the discussion. I would add that another way we are now seeing the free press die is having billionaires purchase media outlets for the express purpose of killing them to protect their other enterprises.
Yes! It’s an UNSUBSCRIBE movement. Unsubscribe from as much Big Tech as you can. It’s effective and easy! Power to the people! Hit’em where it counts! Fight back!! 🥊💥🥊💥
Absolutely, that’s a really important point. Ownership concentration changes the game in ways most people don’t notice. Even without overt censorship, the priorities of a few wealthy owners can shape what gets reported and what quietly disappears. I’m curious, do you see any examples of independent media that are managing to stay both profitable and truly independent, or is the system just too stacked right now?
In a way it is a government order. By the orange dark triad parasite and his sycophants. His FCC. So in essence they are answering to someone. That's how authoritarian fascist regimes work. This is why we must overthrow them. One way or another.
My book club is just finishing Orwell's "1984" by discussing the Appendix and "Newspeak." Trump is a master at "Doublespeak," and he has used threats to intimidate media that should have never been owned by these Oligarchs from Herst on up. I am participating in a boycott of Amazon which began with me stopping my WaPo subscription. I have continued to support journalists from there who are on Substack now.
Well Linda we’ve been at the elimination of ‘toxins’ for awhile in our household by boycotting Target, leaving Amazon(painful for my spouse), CBS and some other (completely compliant to the Fascist regime) businesses and it isn’t hard to do.
Freeing yourself from these weak and immoral appendages is actually quite refreshing!
I prefer spending my time and $$ on local or small businesses!
EaB that sounds good. I am slowly detoxing. My husband is about to get his non-US laptop that is Linux compatible. He already does not use a US made phone, and has replaced his work gmail address with a European email service. He does watch videos on YouTube, but nothing else in US Big Tech that I can think of. We have not been social media users. We use Signal as a family and mostly communicate with those friends who have it too. Each thing we have stripped has made me feel good. My daughter and I still have Apple laptops and phones. I can replace the phone in the fall. Am planning the replacement.
Well Linda we’ve been at the elimination of ‘toxins’ for awhile in our household by boycotting Target, leaving Amazon(painful for my spouse), CBS and some other (completely compliant to the Fascist regime) businesses and it isn’t hard to do.
Freeing yourself from these weak and immoral appendages is actually quite refreshing!
I prefer spending my attention, time and $$ on local or small businesses and independent media!
America cannot survive with a state governed media. That is against our constitution. We must insist and fall freedom of speech and full freedom of the press. Everything in our bill of rights is essential to being an American.
It probably doesn’t need to be repeated, but for those of you who haven’t already done so, boycott CBS/Paramount. That means all of their broadcast, streaming or theatrical content.
It does bear repeating and often. Keep reminding folks what assholes there are at CBS and let's do everything we can to hurt their profit margins. Thanks Kim!
I am on it Kim. Was just explaining to my daughter last night why we were not going to go back on Paramount. She asked why they were bad. I told her what my thoughts were and she accepted them. She finished her finals and wanted to watch a series that was on there. She heard me and found it on Mubi instead.
I don't know if they need to scale fast enough, but right now I see a lot of replacement of legacy media here in Substack. I subscribe to several as well as things like the AP and the Guardian as well as publications from other countries.
We need smart, intelligent, energetic people like you Stephen to fight back. Please consider joining the Medias Touch Network and continuing the battle for democracy.
Colbert wont be short of creative opportunities to establish a vibrant platform when he's free of CBS. This might be a good one. MAGA will always have its collective knickers in a twist over truth shot across the bow with genuine honesty, heart, and hilarity. The humorless right-wing can only respond with ignorance, bigotry, nastiness, and ridiculous stupidity. True wit is beyond them because...as Colbert once quipped…reality does have a liberal bias.
As one of the few truly independent media outlets, it appears that the American people hold your platform in high regard. Today, independent journalism enjoys a unique level of public trust across the world.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation as an Afghan veteran who was left behind by the United States. I respectfully have a request: if possible, please help amplify the voices of Afghan allies who faithfully served alongside U.S. military forces in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. Unfortunately, we are now living in extremely difficult conditions, with little to no attention from the U.S. government.
Nevertheless, I remain deeply grateful to the American people and to U.S. veterans who continue to raise their voices on our behalf and stand in solidarity with us.
The only show many of us ever watch on CBS now is Colbert. Reasoning people get their news from Independent Media - and some foreign sources like The Guardian and Al Jazeera.
The is the worst thing CBS could have done. By pulling that interview, they draw MORE attention to it and more people will want to watch it. Typical maga lunacy. CBS will soon implode and with luck and hope, it will go back to its old self and give us honorable reporting again. Stephen could create his own YouTube channel and it would attract millions, but I hope he joins Meidas.
Talarico may have been compelling and CBS is beyond Fascists (I stopped watching them in 2016) however I need to let everyone know Talarico is funded by Miriam Adelson, a far right political Oligarch (Google it)and he is running against Jasmine Crockett , that should concern us all.
Not exactly. Don't just Google it, go deeper. I called BS so I asked AI--Yes, I know. You have to watch AI but I trust it more than Google. So go deeper on this:
A PAC backed by billionaire Republican donor Miriam Adelson gave about $59,000 to Talarico’s state House reelection campaign in 2024.
This was widely criticized politically because Talarico campaigns against big-money influence.
That’s it.
What did NOT happen
There is no evidence that:
Adelson is funding his Senate campaign broadly
She is a major or primary backer of him
He is “her candidate”
His campaign is controlled by right-wing donors
In fact:
His Senate campaign fundraising is largely small-donor based
The pro-Talarico PAC currently reported only about $400K total, from many donors
So the viral framing (“funded by Adelson”) exaggerates a single past donation into a major sponsorship which is inaccurate.
❌ He is NOT funded or backed primarily by her
❌ No evidence she is financing his Senate campaign
👉 The statement is basically a political attack that turns a minor, controversial donation into a conspiracy-level narrative.
When a donor from the opposite party gives money to a candidate, it’s almost never because they secretly agree with them. It’s usually strategy.
I've read Adelson is a big supporter of AIPAC and the genocide...
AIPAC dislikes all progressives and have spent millions of dollars to keep them out of influential positions. Progressives are against Israel and the USA's genocide.
Crockett on the other hand is a breath of fresh air. Talarico seems to be much more interested in working across the aisle, compromising what little we still have of our democratic republic. Whereas Crockett is not interested in compromising our basic democratic republic and our Constitution, imo.
Yes, I just wrote I wish Colbert would interview Crockett now. We do NOT need anyone associated with the oligarchy. also, I believe Adelson donated a lot of money to Talarico. Adelson is very supportive of AIPAC as well...and AIPAC is NOT a friend of progressives... In fact AIPAC tends to spend millions of dollars to keep progressives from winning. But then, AIPAC supports the genocide, and progressives do NOT.
In addition, Talarico seems to carry his religious beliefs on his sleeve, using it as a way to enhance his campaign, imo. Though Crockett has a deep belief in her religion (her grandfather was a preacher for 40 years); she does not seem to bring up her religion unless and until her beliefs are challenged...then she can quote the Bible with great efficiency. (As she did in the committee meeting I watched.) For me, she's a breath of fresh air, and what we need to change. Talarico seems much more like a polished politician, meaning I'm hesitant to believe polished politicians these days. :)
Yes exactly, I go as far as believing CBS did this as a Propaganda Stunt, never underestimate the Fascists Right to do everything they can think of to promote the White Religious Man over a Black Woman
"Meanwhile, Adelson's PAC has routinely supported both Democrats and Republicans on the state level in Texas, pushing for the state to legalize casino gambling. In 2023, Talarico voted in favor of a measure that would have given voters the chance to approve casino legalization through a constitutional amendment." (PAC gave him $59,000 in 2024, see below)
"Talarico received a total of $59,000 from the Texas Sands PAC through donations in February and December of 2024, according to state campaign finance records."
"Talarico has built a strong small-dollar donor network — his campaign says he’s received over 500,000 donations from over 290,000 individuals since launching his bid in September — and has a cash advantage over his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas."
A few things I noticed. Fox news didn't say he was given the money after he had voted for legalization of gambling. So was this a "reward" for his vote?
Is $59,000.00 considered a large donation from a billionaire? Did any other billionaire's give him money?
The Texas voters will need to look into this before deciding who to vote for.
CBS is the state sponsored television network. It’s very sad seeing a part of our collective history disappear. I’m sorry so many people today didn’t have the opportunity to watch true journalism. Cronkite, Murrow, Rather, and many others. There were two times I saw Walter Cronkite weep on the air. First time announcing the assassination of President Kennedy and the other watching Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. Over 60 years ago and they are locked in my mind. When Dan Rather first took over as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, he would end his broadcast with one simple word, Courage. Something that doesn’t exist at CBS anymore.
As a lifelong Colbert fan and someone appreciative of the Meidas playbook “with receipts,” I’m very interested in that union, Stephen. Please consider.
Thanks Ben for not cowering to the fascists. Stephen, you are absolutely brilliant at your job, there is no doubt. I'd love for you to consider the Medias Touch's offer and perhaps see what could work for you. Can't wait to subscribe to your show ❤️
CBS is a joke. A deal was made and they pull programs that were some of their largest audiences. I am hoping sponsors recognize the decline and pull their support as well.
CBS pulling that interview is the clearest possible illustration of how authoritarian capture works without a single law being broken.
No government order. No official censorship. Just a corporation calculating that appeasing power is safer than defending journalism, and making the rational decision within a captured incentive structure. That’s how free press dies: not with a government shutdown order but with executives deciding access matters more than truth.
Colbert putting it on YouTube and getting massive numbers without corporate gatekeepers proves the audience is there.
The question is whether enough independent platforms can scale fast enough to replace legacy media that’s already decided compliance is the business model.
—Johan
Keep these comments coming, Johan. They are a real contribution to the discussion. I would add that another way we are now seeing the free press die is having billionaires purchase media outlets for the express purpose of killing them to protect their other enterprises.
Yes James. A good reason to find our way around these billionaires, and join in the BiG Tech boycott to the degree that we can.
Yes! It’s an UNSUBSCRIBE movement. Unsubscribe from as much Big Tech as you can. It’s effective and easy! Power to the people! Hit’em where it counts! Fight back!! 🥊💥🥊💥
The Resist and Unsubscribe website:
https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
ty
We should start a website telling our bad tech stories.
yep
ICYMI,Here's the link where Colbert explains why....after CBS told him not to go there.He was brilliant...and the "nude" pic of Brandon Carr.😂
Thus is how to RESIST!!
Why CBS Didn't Broadcast Stephen Colbert's Interview With James Talarico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh7DPSP65JA
Thanks for the link, will share far and wide!
ty
Another way that free speech and expression is on the chopping block are the epstein class (Ellis) buying up movie studios to control any narrative.
Absolutely, that’s a really important point. Ownership concentration changes the game in ways most people don’t notice. Even without overt censorship, the priorities of a few wealthy owners can shape what gets reported and what quietly disappears. I’m curious, do you see any examples of independent media that are managing to stay both profitable and truly independent, or is the system just too stacked right now?
Exactly!
it`s called propaganda
In a way it is a government order. By the orange dark triad parasite and his sycophants. His FCC. So in essence they are answering to someone. That's how authoritarian fascist regimes work. This is why we must overthrow them. One way or another.
My book club is just finishing Orwell's "1984" by discussing the Appendix and "Newspeak." Trump is a master at "Doublespeak," and he has used threats to intimidate media that should have never been owned by these Oligarchs from Herst on up. I am participating in a boycott of Amazon which began with me stopping my WaPo subscription. I have continued to support journalists from there who are on Substack now.
Well Linda we’ve been at the elimination of ‘toxins’ for awhile in our household by boycotting Target, leaving Amazon(painful for my spouse), CBS and some other (completely compliant to the Fascist regime) businesses and it isn’t hard to do.
Freeing yourself from these weak and immoral appendages is actually quite refreshing!
I prefer spending my time and $$ on local or small businesses!
EaB that sounds good. I am slowly detoxing. My husband is about to get his non-US laptop that is Linux compatible. He already does not use a US made phone, and has replaced his work gmail address with a European email service. He does watch videos on YouTube, but nothing else in US Big Tech that I can think of. We have not been social media users. We use Signal as a family and mostly communicate with those friends who have it too. Each thing we have stripped has made me feel good. My daughter and I still have Apple laptops and phones. I can replace the phone in the fall. Am planning the replacement.
Well Linda we’ve been at the elimination of ‘toxins’ for awhile in our household by boycotting Target, leaving Amazon(painful for my spouse), CBS and some other (completely compliant to the Fascist regime) businesses and it isn’t hard to do.
Freeing yourself from these weak and immoral appendages is actually quite refreshing!
I prefer spending my attention, time and $$ on local or small businesses and independent media!
Agree. George Cheeks is now fully complicit in trump’s fascist agenda to create an authoritarian regime funded by oligarchs.
And we need to do our best to defund the oligarchs. UNSUBSCRIBE.
Absolutely!
America cannot survive with a state governed media. That is against our constitution. We must insist and fall freedom of speech and full freedom of the press. Everything in our bill of rights is essential to being an American.
Bravo to Ben for inviting Colbert to come to the Meidas Group.
Hope he accepts the invite 🇨🇦👍
It looks like his YouTube channel is doing well though, but we shall see.
Now to get rid of the Michael Cohen stain🤮
Yes!
Bring on Laura "Melania" Benanti PLEASE!!!!
Yes.
It probably doesn’t need to be repeated, but for those of you who haven’t already done so, boycott CBS/Paramount. That means all of their broadcast, streaming or theatrical content.
It does bear repeating and often. Keep reminding folks what assholes there are at CBS and let's do everything we can to hurt their profit margins. Thanks Kim!
I am on it Kim. Was just explaining to my daughter last night why we were not going to go back on Paramount. She asked why they were bad. I told her what my thoughts were and she accepted them. She finished her finals and wanted to watch a series that was on there. She heard me and found it on Mubi instead.
I don't know if they need to scale fast enough, but right now I see a lot of replacement of legacy media here in Substack. I subscribe to several as well as things like the AP and the Guardian as well as publications from other countries.
In J-School this self-censorship was called "prior restraint."
We need smart, intelligent, energetic people like you Stephen to fight back. Please consider joining the Medias Touch Network and continuing the battle for democracy.
I get all my news from colbert and Stewart. True 🇺🇲
Because they subscribe to truthiness
I read Meidas in the morning.and I do watch the View. The rest is usually,lies.
Colbert wont be short of creative opportunities to establish a vibrant platform when he's free of CBS. This might be a good one. MAGA will always have its collective knickers in a twist over truth shot across the bow with genuine honesty, heart, and hilarity. The humorless right-wing can only respond with ignorance, bigotry, nastiness, and ridiculous stupidity. True wit is beyond them because...as Colbert once quipped…reality does have a liberal bias.
🤓
Well said!
Beautiful
Well, well, well. Apparently all of CBS George Cheeks’ appendages are smaller than tiny hands trump’s. And that’s saying something BIGLY!
Hahahaha😂
As one of the few truly independent media outlets, it appears that the American people hold your platform in high regard. Today, independent journalism enjoys a unique level of public trust across the world.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation as an Afghan veteran who was left behind by the United States. I respectfully have a request: if possible, please help amplify the voices of Afghan allies who faithfully served alongside U.S. military forces in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. Unfortunately, we are now living in extremely difficult conditions, with little to no attention from the U.S. government.
Nevertheless, I remain deeply grateful to the American people and to U.S. veterans who continue to raise their voices on our behalf and stand in solidarity with us.
🇨🇦 very well said 🇨🇦
It seems simple- why can’t people just quit watching CBS, period? Isn’t that a way to fight back?
I have: they are dead to us.
Ditto
The only show many of us ever watch on CBS now is Colbert. Reasoning people get their news from Independent Media - and some foreign sources like The Guardian and Al Jazeera.
And boycott their advertisers.
And watch the YouTube. It’s currently at 535k views. Let’s get it into the millions.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ7Pz_59A
How fantastic it would be if Colbert joined Meidas Touch 🤞🤞
yes, please, get unconditional and enthusiastic support from Italy ❤️
And France. You make our mornings (time differences and all that). Please join us xxx
The is the worst thing CBS could have done. By pulling that interview, they draw MORE attention to it and more people will want to watch it. Typical maga lunacy. CBS will soon implode and with luck and hope, it will go back to its old self and give us honorable reporting again. Stephen could create his own YouTube channel and it would attract millions, but I hope he joins Meidas.
I agree. CBS is making this interview go viral. I hadn't heard of it until this controversy and now intend to watch immediately after posting.
They have lost Anderson Cooper as well, one of the brightest.
As long as YouTube doesn’t cave. Is Google big enough to withstand what so many others have not?
Talarico may have been compelling and CBS is beyond Fascists (I stopped watching them in 2016) however I need to let everyone know Talarico is funded by Miriam Adelson, a far right political Oligarch (Google it)and he is running against Jasmine Crockett , that should concern us all.
Wow, did not know this. Hmmmm.
Not exactly. Don't just Google it, go deeper. I called BS so I asked AI--Yes, I know. You have to watch AI but I trust it more than Google. So go deeper on this:
A PAC backed by billionaire Republican donor Miriam Adelson gave about $59,000 to Talarico’s state House reelection campaign in 2024.
This was widely criticized politically because Talarico campaigns against big-money influence.
That’s it.
What did NOT happen
There is no evidence that:
Adelson is funding his Senate campaign broadly
She is a major or primary backer of him
He is “her candidate”
His campaign is controlled by right-wing donors
In fact:
His Senate campaign fundraising is largely small-donor based
The pro-Talarico PAC currently reported only about $400K total, from many donors
So the viral framing (“funded by Adelson”) exaggerates a single past donation into a major sponsorship which is inaccurate.
❌ He is NOT funded or backed primarily by her
❌ No evidence she is financing his Senate campaign
👉 The statement is basically a political attack that turns a minor, controversial donation into a conspiracy-level narrative.
When a donor from the opposite party gives money to a candidate, it’s almost never because they secretly agree with them. It’s usually strategy.
I've read Adelson is a big supporter of AIPAC and the genocide...
AIPAC dislikes all progressives and have spent millions of dollars to keep them out of influential positions. Progressives are against Israel and the USA's genocide.
Crockett on the other hand is a breath of fresh air. Talarico seems to be much more interested in working across the aisle, compromising what little we still have of our democratic republic. Whereas Crockett is not interested in compromising our basic democratic republic and our Constitution, imo.
Has Crockett accepted AIPAC money?????
Thank you for saving me some time today in having to research this!
Yes, I just wrote I wish Colbert would interview Crockett now. We do NOT need anyone associated with the oligarchy. also, I believe Adelson donated a lot of money to Talarico. Adelson is very supportive of AIPAC as well...and AIPAC is NOT a friend of progressives... In fact AIPAC tends to spend millions of dollars to keep progressives from winning. But then, AIPAC supports the genocide, and progressives do NOT.
In addition, Talarico seems to carry his religious beliefs on his sleeve, using it as a way to enhance his campaign, imo. Though Crockett has a deep belief in her religion (her grandfather was a preacher for 40 years); she does not seem to bring up her religion unless and until her beliefs are challenged...then she can quote the Bible with great efficiency. (As she did in the committee meeting I watched.) For me, she's a breath of fresh air, and what we need to change. Talarico seems much more like a polished politician, meaning I'm hesitant to believe polished politicians these days. :)
Yes exactly, I go as far as believing CBS did this as a Propaganda Stunt, never underestimate the Fascists Right to do everything they can think of to promote the White Religious Man over a Black Woman
Thanks for that interesting tidbit.
"Meanwhile, Adelson's PAC has routinely supported both Democrats and Republicans on the state level in Texas, pushing for the state to legalize casino gambling. In 2023, Talarico voted in favor of a measure that would have given voters the chance to approve casino legalization through a constitutional amendment." (PAC gave him $59,000 in 2024, see below)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-democrat-who-rails-against-billionaire-cash-takes-59k-from-trump-backing-megadonor
"Talarico received a total of $59,000 from the Texas Sands PAC through donations in February and December of 2024, according to state campaign finance records."
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/james-talarico-miriam-adelson-billionaire-donations-00517288
"Talarico has built a strong small-dollar donor network — his campaign says he’s received over 500,000 donations from over 290,000 individuals since launching his bid in September — and has a cash advantage over his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas."
This site also talks about Crockett's finances.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/james-talarico-miriam-adelson-billionaire-donations-00517288
A few things I noticed. Fox news didn't say he was given the money after he had voted for legalization of gambling. So was this a "reward" for his vote?
Is $59,000.00 considered a large donation from a billionaire? Did any other billionaire's give him money?
The Texas voters will need to look into this before deciding who to vote for.
Do you have any evidence of any of contribution since the $59K in 2024?
But, as much as value Jasmine Crockett, heard she takes AIPAC money. Sometimes there's no perfect choices, as it does take money nowadays to campaign.
You heard wrong, what the Republicans won’t do to keep a Black Woman out of power
CBS is the state sponsored television network. It’s very sad seeing a part of our collective history disappear. I’m sorry so many people today didn’t have the opportunity to watch true journalism. Cronkite, Murrow, Rather, and many others. There were two times I saw Walter Cronkite weep on the air. First time announcing the assassination of President Kennedy and the other watching Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. Over 60 years ago and they are locked in my mind. When Dan Rather first took over as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, he would end his broadcast with one simple word, Courage. Something that doesn’t exist at CBS anymore.
Yes Ben yes!! I got goosebumps reading this. 💙
As a lifelong Colbert fan and someone appreciative of the Meidas playbook “with receipts,” I’m very interested in that union, Stephen. Please consider.
Thanks Ben for not cowering to the fascists. Stephen, you are absolutely brilliant at your job, there is no doubt. I'd love for you to consider the Medias Touch's offer and perhaps see what could work for you. Can't wait to subscribe to your show ❤️
This would be huge if Stephen would assent to come on board at Meidas Touch.
Stephen would be a great addition.
CBS is a joke. A deal was made and they pull programs that were some of their largest audiences. I am hoping sponsors recognize the decline and pull their support as well.
Is the interview posted somewhere?
There y'go:
https://youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?si=_Ss_f1x-jH50C3FI
Share where you can!
Thank you!
YouTube
it's on U-Tube, just search for 'Stephen Colbert'