From VADC member Joanne Lalii: The Rise of IndependentMedia: Part One

I get it, your television set is your constantcompanion. You’re a retiree. You like to relax and put your feet up, which
usually involves watching TV, and you’re old enough to remember when it was
free. Back in the day, national and political news was condensed into a half
hour network show (actually twenty minutes thanks to commercials). The news was
a program you watched before or after dinner.

That changed in 1980 when CNN came on the air,presenting round-the-clock news, political commentary and in-depth interviews.
The paid cable station had no competition until July 15, 1996, when MSNBC came
on the air offering democrat based news and liberal-leaning political opinion.
This was followed on October 7, 1996, when FOX News debuted featuring
right-wing, republican based news and conservative political opinion.

Fast forward to the 2016 election when the politicalscene was staunchly divided into three camps: independents - those
middle-of-the-road types who considered themselves open to listening to both
sides - who primarily watched CNN, and the right-wing MAGA supporters who only
watched FOX News, and the liberal, progressive democrats who watched MSNBC.

After Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, devastateddemocrats tuned in to Rachel and Lawrence at night, or Joe and Mika in the
morning, needing community and solace, seeking an outlet for their outrage.
They were willing to embrace MSNBC’s non-white and/or non-Christian hosts like
Meidhi Hasan, Joy Reid, and Ayman Mohyeldi, journalists openly critical of
Netanyahu’s brutal Palestinian policies – policies supported by Trump the
opportunist who even then had big plans for luxury real estate developments in
Gaza.

But that was then.

As Americans moved away from cable, preferringstreaming services like Netflix and Hulu; they canceled their cable bills along
with their corporate controlled cable news. It’s this reduction in viewership
and the resulting decrease in ad revenue that prompted CNN and MSNBC to shift
to the right, hoping to pick up independent and moderate republican viewers. In
November 2023, MSNBC cancelled the Medhi Hasan show. They started airing Trump
rallies in real time as a ratings grab. In the run-up to the 2024 election, CNN
allowed right-wing pundits like Scott Jennings to spew MAGA propaganda. After
Trump won, in a desperate act to guarantee access to the newly elected
president after he threatened to banish from his orbit any journalist who did
not favorably report on him, Joe and Mika debased themselves by paying a
congratulatory visit to the spray tan Don of Mar-a-Lago.

Then came the purge. Jim Acosta was let go by CNN, andJoy Reid and Ayman Mohyeldi at MSNBC were shown the door along with several
other non-white journalists who all shared something else in common: they’d
been staunchly critical of Trump and Netanyahu.

With corporate media on all sides caving in to Trump’sdemand for favorable – and entirely false – reporting, what’s a leisure-loving
democrat television watcher to do? The alternative is to watch independent
media, which you will not find anywhere on your TV.

At a recent VADC meetup, I asked this one lady whereshe got her news from. This question has become my litmus test, determining who
I want to hang out with. When she said she watched MSNBC along with CNN, and
sometimes even Fox News (!) I encouraged her to check out independent
journalists like Brian Tyler Cohen and David Pakman. She asked where she could
find them. I told her, “On the internet. YouTube.” She said, “I am NOT going to
sit at my computer all day,” driving home the point that lying on the couch
watching corporate controlled cable news all day is more of a bad habit,
something preferred to making the effort to be better informed.

You don’t need to sit at your computer to listento/and or watch independent media. Got a cell phone? An iPad? Then you can put
your feet up on the couch, curl up with your favorite device, and open your
YouTube or Apple podcast app.

After my conversation with that VADC member – the ladywho only gets her news from her television set – I decided to put together a
curated list of links to the independent media shows I watch online (I haven’t
owned a TV since 2018). I’ve also provided links to specific episodes to help
you find a good starting point. Since my list is long, I’ll keep this series
going for a couple of months, so you can experience the array of independent
journalists putting out the kind of content needed to help us navigate these
troubled times we’ve now found ourselves living in.

TheWarning with Steve Schmidt Now a registered Democrat, Schmidtfamously worked on Republican political campaigns, including those of President
George W. Bush, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John McCain
during the Arizona Senator’s 2008 presidential bid. Don’t hold that against
him. In 2019, Schmidt became a founding member of The Lincoln Project, a group
dedicated to campaigning against Trump. Using blistering rhetoric, Steve speaks
truth to power in his typically short and on point daily podcasts.

A few days after the presidential election, thisformer Republican operative spelled out in brutally honest terms what the
democrats did wrong in How Donald Trump Won ThePresidency.

If you’re wondering what democrats can and should doto combat the Trump regime as well as set themselves up for wins in 2026 and
2028, then his interview with Congressman Ro Khanna is worth a listen: HowThe Democratic Party Can Fight Back Against Trump.

Of all the YouTube channels I listen to, Schmidt’scannot be missed.

https://www.youtube.com/@thewarningwithsteveschmidt

BrianTyler Cohen Ina balanced, straightforward manner, Cohen interviews political figures, reports
on politics, and hosts live-stream events, including debates and election
results. As of January 2025, his channel has more than 3.5 million subscribers
and has over 3 billion views. Post election, Cohen has emerged as *the* go-to
news source for democrats and progressives.

Critical of mainstream media, theactor-turned-podcaster believes most Americans prefer to consume online media
rather than corporate-driven television news. He has called out the Democratic
Party for what he perceives as an overreliance on mainstream media, arguing
that podcasts and YouTube shows reach a wider audience.

His talent is showcasing recent, seemingly disparatenews events, tying them together with a cohesive theme. You can see an example
of that here: CHAOS:Another Republican town hall descends into MAYHEM

https://www.youtube.com/@briantylercohen

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-lie-with-brian-tyler-cohen/id1515399733

RobertReich Formersecretary of labor under President Bill Clinton, Reich has served in three
national administrations and was named by Time Magazine as one of theten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. On his podcast
as well as in his Substacknewsletter, this Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at theUniversity of California, Berkeley brings a much needed depth of experience and
historical perspective on Trump’s daily misdeeds and atrocities.

His Saturday podcast series, The Coffee Klatch withRobert Reich, features his former public policy student Heather Lofthouse.
Their discussion about the past week’s political events has become part of my
podcast listening ritual.

If you’re looking for a place to start (and have beenscratching your head – or tearing your hair out – since election night), I
recommend you check out these two videos: one from November 9th,2024, Whatdo we do n^ow?, and another from December 3rd,2024, on WhyTrump Woⁿ.

https://www.youtube.com/@RBReich

TalkingFeds with Harry Litman Ifyou want to keep up with the Trump-related legal news, court cases, and
everything SCOTUS, then Talking Feds is your best bet. Litman served as law
clerk to Abner Mikva, Thurgood Marshall, and Anthony Kennedy, before going on
to become an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of
California. He then went to work at the Department of Justice’s main office in
Washington, D.C. where he was assigned to several national cases, including the
federal re-prosecution of the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King
case. Litman later served as Assistant Attorney General under Janet Reno.

Known for its in-depth, Monday morning roundtablediscussions, Talking Feds features prominent guests from across government,
law, and journalism. Recently, Litman and company did a deep dive on the
scandal surrounding the dismissal of charges against NYC Mayor Adams led by
Trump’s henchman, Emil Bove: “Not anything any of usever expected to see in America".

https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingFeds

UK-BasedTimes Radio In light of Trump’s latest abandonment ofgovernment support for Ukraine, and especially after the shameful debacle of
the recent Oval Office ambush of Zelensky where Trump failed to extort
Ukraine’s mineral rights in exchange for vague promises of support, keeping up
with the European perspective on all things Trump related has become essential.
As this is UK-based reporting, there will be bad teeth and quirky turns of
phrase but don’t be put off by that.

Yes, Times Radio is owned by Trump ally RupertMurdoch, but their series called “The Trump Report” offers an unbiased,
international point of view of Trump’s global impact. Here’s a sampling: Trump's presidency will'crumble' and Andrew Neil picks atevery hole in Trump’s plans for Gaza and the Middle East.

https://www.youtube.com/@ListenToTimesRadio

Pivotwith Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway I think it’s safe to say the biggestdifference between the Trump 1.0 and the Trump 2.0 presidencies is the toxic
and troubling influence of Elon Musk, along with other tech titans like
Zuckerberg and Bezos.

Tech journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor ScottGalloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech,
business, and politics. Recently, their focus has been providing insight into
Musk’s motivation for taking on the role of First Buddy. Here are some recent
examples:How Trump's Chaos Distracts from Elon's Power Playand What'sReally Behind Elon Musk's $97 Billion Power Grab for OpenAI.

https://www.youtube.com/@pivot

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719

SenatorSheldon Whitehouse Servingsince 2007 as the junior senator from Rhode Island, Whitehouse is also a
Ranking Member of the Senate Environment Committee. Lately, he’s been in the
spotlight as one of the few senators openly critical of Trump’s cabinet
nominees, emerging as a strong voice of dissent. Here’s a video of Whitehouse
calling out MAGA loyalists at a committee hearing: Sen. Whitehouse Warns ofa "MAGA Takeover of the Department of Justice".

Whitehouse, a fierce advocate for progressive values,has earned a reputation in the Senate as a thoughtful legislator capable of
reaching across the aisle.

With a name like Whitehouse, dare we hope he mounts abid for the presidency in 2028?

On March 23rd, Whitehouse will headline the SarasotaDems Kennedy-King Annual Dinner.

https://www.youtube.com/@SenatorWhitehouse