Podcast Summary: "Can Satire Save Democracy?"

Podcast: Question Everything
Host: Brian Reed
Guest: Ben Collins (CEO, The Onion)
Original Air Date: November 27, 2025
Episode Description: Journalist Sam Sanders interviews Ben Collins about The Onion’s place in the media landscape, the return of its print edition, corporate and political censorship, audacious satirical stunts, and whether comedy can help preserve democracy.

Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

This episode explores the intersection of satire, free speech, and democracy, using The Onion as a case study for how humor and sharp cultural critique can illuminate the failures and absurdities of our times. Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, shares insights about steering a legendary satirical institution through a rapidly changing media environment, the moral choices involved in satire, the business of print news, and bold moves like the attempted acquisition of InfoWars. The conversation also touches on the current state (and future) of journalism and offers both sharp critiques and surprising optimism.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Role—and Relevance—of Satire in Journalism

• Satire's Impact: Collins argues that satire, when done well, gets to the “heart of what you're trying to think or what the sentence you're trying to get at in your soul” (15:05).
• Satire vs. Mainstream Journalism: Sam Sanders and Collins point out that The Onion provides directness and honesty often lacking from risk-averse, “appeasement”-oriented establishment outlets (16:17).

Quote:
"I think the biggest lesson is: don’t take yourself too fucking seriously."
— Sam Sanders, [04:05]

• Journalist Identity & Objectivity: Both Sanders and Collins discuss the baggage of the title "journalist" and skepticism about objectivity.
  • Collins rejects the idea that objectivity should be the centerpiece of journalism, calling it “inherently structurally sexist, racist, and homophobic” (05:17).

2. The Onion’s Business—From Clickbait to Print Revival

• Abandoning Ad Revenue: Collins reveals he cut off 70% of Onion’s revenue overnight—primarily from “erectile dysfunction ads”—to pivot away from click-chasing and embrace subscriptions (13:07).
  • “It was not a great business model… so we decided… to just turn it off. We'll figure out a better business model.” (13:05)
• Print Comeback: The Onion revived its print edition, quickly becoming one of the country’s largest papers by circulation (now at 57,000 subscribers and counting) (14:44). This runs counter to media industry trends but has succeeded because “people associate us with the newspaper... It's in people’s mailboxes, like a nice surprise.” (13:27).

3. Satire as Resistance and Risk: Censorship, Cancelled Distribution, and Bold Stunts

• Mockumentary Censorship: The Onion created a Jeffrey Epstein mockumentary lampooning media and political complicity. Their distributor pulled out after unrelated political violence, a move Collins denounces as cowardice—a sign that speech can still be chilled by risk-averse gatekeepers (22:25).
  • Indie theaters rallied to pick up the film, proving there's a hunger for courageous, unbowed satire (24:01).

Notable Quote:
“If we can't talk about the world’s biggest dead pedophile because he was friends with the President and the President was friends with somebody else, then we can't talk about anything.”
— Ben Collins, [22:38]

• Attempting to Buy InfoWars: The Onion bid to purchase Alex Jones’ conspiracy site from bankruptcy—after consulting Sandy Hook families to ensure it was welcome (33:19). Their intent: flip a disinformation engine into a channel for satire and truth. Collins details how legal wrangling and intimidation tactics stymied the process—yet insists it was the right thing to do (35:18).

4. The Onion’s Editorial Process and “The Coca-Cola Formula”

• Quality Above All: The writers’ room prioritizes extreme selectivity—some days, 150 headlines are pitched and none are approved (27:55). Collins gives this as the secret to The Onion’s consistent high standard.
  • “It’s monks, it’s like a bunch of comedy monks.” (28:15)
• Satire Formula: Collins likens The Onion to Coca-Cola: never deviate from the formula of sharp, specific, original humor (29:09).

5. Satire, Politics, and Free Speech—Why Collins Remains Hopeful

• On Free Speech: Collins expresses optimism, arguing the audience rewards boldness, authenticity, and a willingness to “stand up” (40:35).
  • “A little bit of bravery gets you an incredible amount of goodwill from people.”
• Against Appeasement: He’s critical of major media’s risk aversion and hopes the trend is peaking (16:53, 18:22).
• Satire as Democratic Practice: The Onion's approach is fundamentally anti-’the man’ and in the American tradition of speaking truth to power (46:00).

6. AI, Media Illiteracy, and the Future of Humor

• Collins recognizes the challenges of media literacy, technology, and AI, echoing educators’ worries that “kids aren’t reading” and can’t distinguish fact from fiction (42:00).
• AI Will Not Replace Satire: He believes AI won’t supplant human satire: “AI finds the middle of something at all points. The point of being funny is to find the sentence that is not the middle” (46:28, 47:51).

Notable Quote:
"What we like as people is novelty. We like surprise. ... The more human you are in this moment, the more likely human beings are to give you actual money."
— Ben Collins, [49:17]

7. Personal Favorites and Pop Culture Hot Takes

• Favorite Onion Headline: Collins loves “Somebody should do something about all the problems”—an “old lady” quote that aptly captures both the helplessness and urgency of the times (51:50).

• Pop Culture Hot Take:

  • Collins: “I don't think anybody young listens to Joe Rogan. ... I think it's 45 year old guys ... Painting their house who need something to drone.” (51:05)
  • Sanders: “99% of albums don't need interludes. ... All movies could be 90 minutes or less.” (51:05)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "The biggest lesson is don't take yourself too fucking seriously."
  — Sam Sanders, [04:05]

• "Objectivity is inherently structurally sexist, racist, and homophobic. ... It was never for me."
  — Sam Sanders, [05:17]

• "Our headlines ... drill down to the heart of what you're trying to think or ... your soul."
  — Ben Collins, [15:05]

• “If it's raining outside and you get one voice that says it's raining and one voice that says it's not ... you are not giving me an accurate weather report.”
  — Sam Sanders (to Ben Collins), [18:22]

• "If we can't talk about the world's biggest dead pedophile ... then we can't talk about anything."
  — Ben Collins, [22:38]

• "[AI] can't say anything new. ... AI is the synthesis of everything. What we like as people is novelty. We like surprise."
  — Ben Collins, [47:51]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Origins and Journalist Identity: [04:00] – [06:30]
• How The Onion Is Run; Business Strategy: [08:17] – [14:36]
• On Print Media’s Comeback: [13:27] – [15:57]
• Satire vs Mainstream Journalism; Quality Control: [16:04] – [28:34]
• Epstein Mockumentary Saga: [20:11] – [24:49]
• InfoWars Acquisition Story: [33:19] – [36:30]
• Free Speech and Optimism: [37:10] – [41:39]
• AI, Literacy, and Tech Anxiety: [42:00] – [47:41]
• Pop Culture Hot Takes & Favorite Headlines: [51:05] – [52:30]

Conclusion

This episode delivers a rare blend of media critique, comedy philosophy, business insight, and cultural diagnosis. Ben Collins is candid, reflective, and sharp-edged, arguing that boldness, specificity, and humanity are antidotes to both institutional cynicism and technological dystopia. For believers in the power of satire—and for those worried about the future of speech and democracy—The Onion’s example offers both a cutting lens on the present and a hopeful, if irreverent, path forward.

Further Listening

• Sam Sanders’ other interviews with Michael Lewis and Robin Gavan (as recommended by Brian Reed at close).
• For those interested in similar themes, check out The Onion’s print editions or the Epstein mockumentary if it screens locally.