Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
As the uprise of phones, social media and YouTube continues to bear fruit for young creators, it simultaneously continues to erode traditional forms of media.
On Feb. 19, Vanity Fair published an article titled, “Bowen Yang, Brittany Broski, and the 8 Other Hosts Who Are Shattering the Talk Show Format.” This piece accepts the decline of late night talk shows as inevitable, and it embraces podcasting, short-form content or other digital content as the formats most likely to survive.
Though this new wave of celebrity interviews has provided much needed diversity to the clearly outdated, white-male dominated space, having a strong late night TV presence on the American media stage is a necessary bridge between entertainment and current events. It creates a universally shared cultural conversation across our fragmented nation.
Digital platforms have undeniably reshaped how audiences engage with celebrity interviews and media in general. This new era of podcasting offers accessibility and representation that late night clearly cannot reach; young people with talent can now build enough of a following on YouTube to outperform the viewership and relevance of massively produced TV programs. Since most of YouTube’s content is independently made, or at least starts out that way, creators are able to avoid the exclusive cultural expectations and barriers that typically limit who gets to be seen or heard.
Overall, the primary benefit of this new wave is that creators control their content instead of networks that have historically — and even recently — moved in ethically questionable ways, aligning themselves with public figures that undermine progress.
That being said, late night offers a shared, cultural public sphere that digital platforms cannot replace. The digital age has almost completely eradicated the ability to encounter media in general, and the power of choice given to the consumer has skyrocketed echo-chambers, fueled unregulated and questionable voices, and accelerated division and isolation.
When we start to lose late night TV, these forces continue to grow. This is largely because late night operates with a fundamentally different goal of reaching a collective audience to loop everyone into the same conversation or moment.
Even scheduled programming pushes back against isolating media bubbles. Its shared timing across the nation creates common-ground moments for entertainment, humor and politics, and its primary source content allows viewers to form their own interpretations rather than rely on influencers to shape them.
The risk of losing centralized platforms deepens cultural and political divides. The influencers set to replace late night hosts find their success among a brutal culture war, one in which individualized content disguises mob mentalities. Bridging gaps cannot happen without shared spaces, but most importantly in this age, without shared content.
While podcasts and online interviews work to expand representation and creative freedom, they lack the unifying reach and real-time feel of late night television. With the absence of a central stage or journalistic structure, audiences self-selecting content are less likely to encounter other perspectives, especially on forms that prioritize entertainment over any broader sense of civic connection or accountability.
This is not to say the hosts and shows that Vanity Fair highlighted are negative additions to the entertainment space; all are talented, vibrant individuals who deserve their platforms. It is to say, though, that maybe they should just be hired to replace current late night hosts, revamping a flawed — yet necessary — system.
This country needs network television if it wants to be unified. We cannot bear to lose any more nationally broadcasted conversation made for everyone to watch. So continue to tune into Royal Court with Brittany Broski and Hot Ones with Sean Evans, but also turn on the TV and tap into a Colbert monologue while you still can. Support a platform that is necessary in fighting back against the forces that hope to keep us divided.
Reach Caroline Studdert at letters@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
