29 May 2026

The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an attack on free media

Lola Kadas in Budapest, Hungary

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A protest against the cancellation of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert', New York, 21 July 2025.

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ran on 21 May.

CBS, the network behind the show, announcedin July 2025 that, although it was the most watched late-night show, it was getting cancelled for “purely financial reasons”. It is clear to me that this is not the case and that the decision was politically motivated.

At the time, Paramount, CBS’s parent company, was in the process of finalising a $16m settlement in a lawsuit with President Trump, who had sued CBS for $10bn. The accusations were based on supposed deceptive editing of an interview with former vice president Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign in October 2024.

Paramount was also in the middle of a merger with the entertainment company Skydance, a deal that required approval from the Trump administration. Therefore, many have pointed to the US president having a significant part in the cancellation of The Late Show, especially since he was the target of many of Colbert’s jokes over his 11-year run.

When it was first announced, Colbert himself called the merger a “big fat bribe”, specifically noting that Paramount could have fought the lawsuit and that the company itself claimed it had been “completely without merit.”

Colbert’s open criticism towards the Trump administration has essentially led him to getting his platform removed, which begs the question: is free media in danger?

As a fan of The Late Show, it saddens me that it has met its untimely end in such a puzzling and unsettling way.

The Late Show’s best moments

During the decade that Stephen Colbert hosted the show, after taking over from previous host David Letterman in 2015, he has made millions around the world laugh every time the show aired.

His humorous approach and ability to make – as Colbert said – “jokes about the things that make me the most anxious” – is what united people in difficult times. It is what made the finale the most watched weeknight episode of his tenure, with more than 6.5 million viewers.

It is clear not only from the number of people who tuned in, but also from the celebrity supporters that have commented on Colbert’s show ending that many, including myself, are outraged.

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Jimmy Kimmel, another member of the Strike Force Five – a short-term comedy podcast hosted by the biggest names in talk shows including Colbert and Kimmel – urged audiences to tune in for Colbert’s last show and never watch CBS again.

It is evident that Colbert was not only a host valued by viewers, but respected by his peers as well. From his famous “Colbert Questionert” that he used in his hilarious celebrity interviews to his clever political commentary, we will miss him dearly.

What I found especially endearing was that Paul McCartney was the final musical guest on the show – 62 years after The Beatles played their first televised US performance in the exact same place where The Late Show was hosted, the Ed Sullivan Theater on New York’s Broadway.

What does the cancellation imply?

What I find especially concerning are the broader implications of the show’s demise. Essentially, it could be reframed as the silencing of a highly viewed platform that opens people’s eyes to the worrisome political realities we see in the US today.

Bruce Springsteen, the penultimate musician on the show, commented that Colbert was the “first guy in America who lost his show because [the country] has a president who can’t take a joke,” before playing ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ – the protest song he wrote in response to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in January.

His take sums up perfectly what happened.

Trump has been shrinking the space for press freedom and free speech since becoming president for the second time.

Lola near the Ed Sullivan Theater, New York, April 2026.

Picture courtesy of: Lola Kadas

He has continuously worked to reduce press access to the White House and associated institutions such as the State Department and the Pentagon. He also sued The Wall Street Journal for $10m and banned their reporters from flying aboard Air Force One after the newspaper published a story about Trump’s interactions with Jeffrey Epstein.

What this suggests is a knowledge that unbiased journalists will not always depict the administration positively. Trump would rather forcefully suppress the free press than reform his actions in a way that would allow truthful reporters to garner him support rather than criticism.

Perhaps what is most alarming is that CBS was not upfront about the reasons for the cancellation, which indicates that not only is media freedom being limited but its repression is being hidden or disguised.

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New York’s Times Square, a global symbol of the entertainment industry and the American dream.

Shortly after the final episode of The Late Show aired, Trump sharedan AI-generated video of him grabbing Colbert, throwing him in a dumpster, and dancing the YMCA. This was the cherry on top of his many stabs at Colbert. These included comparing him to “a dead person” and claiming that “any person off the street […] would be better than this total jerk,” referring to Colbert.

It is obvious that even if it was not the sole reason, the decision to pull the rug under the show had been heavily politically influenced. At the very least, the public should have been made aware of this instead of being fed the message that it was due to financial reasons.

All in all, I hope Colbert will be remembered as the cultural icon he is – who remained unafraid to be honest and speak his mind even in the face of defeat while bringing joy to anyone who watched him.

Written by:

Lola Kadas

Editor-in-Chief 2026

Budapest, Hungary

Lola Kadas joined Harbingers’ Magazine in the summer of 2024 as a contributor during the Oxford pop-up newsroom. After completing the newsroom and writing course, she became a staff writer later that autumn, covering society and public affairs.

Her strong writing and dedication to the magazine led to her appointment as Society Section Editor in 2025. During this time, she also reported from Bali, Indonesia, where she worked on a special project exploring the local mental health landscape and produced a series of thought-provoking articles.

Following a successful year in that role, and in recognition of her steady development and commitment, Lola stepped into the role of Editor-in-Chief in 2026, sharing the position with Arnav Maheshwari.

This will mark the first time the magazine is led by joint Editors-in-Chief, reflecting the growing scope and ambition of the publication. In her new role, Lola will also introduce a fact-checking system to further strengthen the magazine’s editorial standards.

Born in 2009, Lola has lived in both Budapest, Hungary, and California, United States. She is interested in music, pop culture, politics and mental health. She speaks English, Hungarian, French and Spanish.

In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts and creating studio art, and is a fan of Taylor Swift’s music.

Edited by:

Lukas Abromavicius

Economics Section Editor 2026

Sevenoaks, United Kingdom

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