The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Guest: David Remnick, Editor of The New Yorker

Date: September 20, 2025

Episode Overview

On this episode, Stephen Colbert sits down with David Remnick, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Editor of The New Yorker, for a wide-ranging and profoundly relevant conversation about the state of free speech, media suppression, and the fragility of democracy. With parallels drawn between Russia’s historic transformation and current events in the US, Remnick shares personal observations from his Moscow reporting days, reflects on contemporary American and global threats to press freedoms, and discusses The New Yorker’s latest satirical cover—a sharp commentary on media control.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Suppression of Free Speech (04:48–09:03)

• Colbert opens with praise for The New Yorker, describing it as “the greatest magazine of all time” and notes Remnick's stature in American media.

• Colbert challenges Remnick on a pressing, real-world issue:
  “I’m just curious...what was your first reaction when you heard that...Jimmy had been pulled off the air?” (04:53)

• Remnick draws on Russian and Soviet history:

  • Remembers witnessing first-hand the arrival of free speech (“glasnost”) in Moscow during Gorbachev’s era, emphasizing how profound and precious those changes felt after centuries of censorship.
  • “It was oxygen. And to see what's happening in our country today… to see this treated so cavalierly and so cynically and shut down...is, to me, a horrific tragedy.” (06:57)

• Colbert follows up with a question about media crackdowns under Putin:

  • Remnick illustrates the parallel by recounting Putin’s early moves to silence critical entertainment, such as the puppet show "Kukli":
    “They went after him and he hated it. And suddenly that shut down, that was brought to heel, and then the entire network was shut down…now we've reached the point...if there is in fact a Russian free press, their home base is...all abroad.” (08:01-08:48)

2. Fragility and Restoration of Free Press (09:03–10:02)

• Colbert asks if countries have regained press freedom after losing it:
  • Remnick responds with cautious optimism, referencing Eastern European countries (e.g. the Czech Republic) that reclaimed democracy after communist censorship.
  • “We have to remember...how incredibly precious free expression is, how rare it is...and how fragile it is.” (09:25)
  • Warns that U.S. government actions manipulating or stifling the press are alarming:
    “They haven't reached publishing houses quite yet, but you know, stay tuned.” (09:52)

3. The New Yorker’s Satirical Cover & Media Control (10:02–11:02)

• Colbert spotlights the latest cover of The New Yorker:

  • Describes it as “a tiny hand in a big suit holding a TV remote.”

• Remnick explains the artwork:

  • Credits Barry Blitt, likening him to Thomas Nast.
  • The cover’s remote control buttons: “mute, pause, stop, stifle, silence, shun, sack, banish…”
  • “It’s funny, funny ha ha, but it’s also very real. This is what’s going on.” (10:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the loss of free speech:

  “It was oxygen. And to see what's happening in our country today… to see this treated so cavalierly and so cynically and shut down...is, to me, a horrific tragedy.”
  —David Remnick, 06:57

• On press freedom under Putin:

  “They went after him and he hated it. And suddenly that shut down, that was brought to heel, and then the entire network was shut down.”
  —David Remnick, 08:13

• On the rarity of free expression:

  “We have to remember...how incredibly precious free expression is, how rare it is throughout the world and how fragile it is.”
  —David Remnick, 09:25

• On Trump, media, and satire:

  “It captures in one image Trump's peculiar obsession with the media, particularly television.… And it’s funny, funny ha ha, but it’s also very real. This is what’s going on.”
  —David Remnick, 10:38–10:51

• Wry closing exchange:

  Colbert: “Well, David…”
  Remnick: “It’s good that I came out for the comedy portion.”
  Colbert: “Exactly. It’s been a cheerful conversation.”
  Remnick: “I like to bring a little life into every talk.”
  (11:02–11:15)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 04:31 – Introduction of David Remnick
• 05:22 – Remnick’s reflections on Soviet glasnost and present US media climate
• 07:17 – Putin’s media crackdown parallels
• 09:11 – Discussion of the fragility—and restoration—of free press
• 10:02 – Unveiling and explanation of Barry Blitt's New Yorker cover
• 11:02 – Closing banter

Tone & Style

The conversation—thoughtful, historically grounded, and at times darkly humorous—balances Remnick’s gravitas with Colbert’s sardonic wit. Listeners hear both the urgency of Remnick’s warnings about press freedom and the wry acknowledgment, delivered through satire, that these issues are also part of America’s unfolding cultural drama.

Additional Note

• David Remnick’s documentary, “The New Yorker at 100,” premieres on Netflix December 5th.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in media, democracy, or the global state of free speech—an urgent, clear-eyed conversation that’s both sobering and laced with flashes of satire.