Corporate media entities have treasure troves of resources at their disposal which make them valuable assets for staying informed. However, for some, it’s hard to ignore the relationship between media outlets and their closest moneyed interests. While corporate media is popularly labeled as left-wing; anti-elitism is hard to discern from the most popular networks that are owned by multinational corporations. Here are some of my recommendations for those interested in truly left-wing news, opinion, and/or theory-based content.
TYT is a weekday news broadcast led by Ana Kasparian and the network’s founder Cenk Uygur. The term “Young Turk” explains this channel’s content well. The definition listed on their YouTube channel, credited to American Heritage Dictionary states:
Young Turk (n), 1. Young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, or political party. 2. Young person who rebels against authority or societal expectations.
TYT has been a growing left-wing institution since its early days on satellite radio. Uygur and Kasparian have strong progressive voices and are brutally honest commentators whose passion enabled their growth. Over time this team has grown from a show to a network. Just some of the great shows that fall under their umbrella are Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey, The Damage Report with John Iadarola, and The Watchlist with Jayar Jackson. Together these hosts and their network of contributors present the news through their true political lenses rather than projecting objectivity.
I definitely identify with the ideological bend, but more importantly, I find it refreshing to have a news show willing to admit that their framing of an issue is motivated by a belief system. All in all, this daily show and its broader network provide informative and entertaining content all while continuously calling out corporate corruption. This show is streamed on YouTube, the TYT app/website, and other streaming platforms.
The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder
Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland host a weekday video podcast that mixes news coverage, deep dives, comedy, and community interaction. Seder has been a progressive radio personality for over 15 years and does voice-over work for Bobs Burgers on the side. In 2010, the show left its home on radio and launched as a podcast.
As an internet show Seder restructured the program to be primarily supported by his audience. Since this switch Seder has brought together many talented commentators in various roles. For example, Vigeland has spent time as a journalist for TYT and part-time host/former producer Matt Binder is also a journalist who hosts two informative shows of his own. Seder and Vigeland along with covering daily news stories, conduct in-depth interviews on a variety of topics that include progressive policy, strategy, and history.
The latter half of each show is known for getting intense and is largely responsible for Seder’s reputation as a debater. In this part of the show, the hosts take calls at random which can lead to insightful conversations, shared laughs, and entertaining arguments. While Seder doesn’t shy away from debating other notable personalities, to get a taste of Seder’s debate style I recommend starting with this playlist of over 150 interactions with libertarian callers. This is a daily program that can be streamed on YouTube, the Majority Report app, and other streaming services.
The Michael Brooks Show (TMBS)
The late Michael Brooks was the prime example of the talent Sam Seder brought to his show. Brooks began as a producer on Seder’s show, eventually became co-host, and launched his own show TMBS. Brooks as a commentator and satirist had a particular interest in labor empowerment at home and abroad. Often his focus squared on correcting the record of other commentators who he believed, as he wrote in his book Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right “promotes narratives that either naturalize or mythologize historically contingent power dynamics.”
Tragically Michael Brooks was taken from us much too early in his life and ours. On July 20th of 2020, Brooks died of a blood clot brought on by genetic predispositions. Personally, I owe a lot to Michael Brooks. His commentary steered me away from those who naturalize power imbalances, and his satire continues to get me through rough patches.
No one is perfect and some of his satire may be considered over the line, but even in death Brooks is a must watch for those who want to help build a wide-reaching left-wing movement. Brooks’ YouTube channel continues to re-air old episodes and holds a large catalog of his commentary. Also check out TMBS’s successor show Left Reckoning hosted by Brooks’ partners Matt Lech and David Griscom. Left is best, rest in power King!
Economic Update with Prof. Richard Wolff
Economic Update is a weekly internet, radio, and television broadcast hosted by Richard Wolff and produced by a non-profit he helped form called Democracy at Work. Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Visiting Professor of International Affairs at the New School in New York who stands firmly in the Marxist tradition. Prof. Wolff’s weekly broadcast highlights inaccuracies in economic and foreign policy narratives that are propagated by mass media. This show provides a perspective to counterbalance conventional thought and promotes solutions to our shared problems in a capitalist society.
Of these solutions, Prof. Wolff stresses the need to bring democracy into the workplace. Unlike what may be expected of a proponent of Marx, Prof. Wolff is not blind to the troubles of past movements, parties, and governments that have held or currently hold the banner of being Marxists. Prof. Wolff has on many occasions explained how in his young career he was put off by the mechanistic notions that reigned supreme in many socialist schools of thought. For this reason, Prof. Wolff first and foremost promotes a transition from an economy predominately made up of capitalist industry to one made up of predominately cooperative industry, with a special focus on worker cooperatives.
To learn more about how to bring democracy into your workplace check out Democracy at Work and tune in to Prof. Wolff’s program on YouTube, Patreon, or one of the +120 radio stations it broadcasts to nationwide.