Podcast Summary:
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Episode: RealClear Politics' Fight for Free Speech with David DesRosiers
Host: Jack Fowler (filling in for Victor Davis Hanson)
Guest: David DesRosiers (President, RealClear Media Fund & Publisher, RealClearPolitics)
Date: January 15, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode explores the vital role of RealClearPolitics (RCP) in championing viewpoint diversity and free speech amid rising partisanship and censorship in American media. Host Jack Fowler interviews David DesRosiers about RCP’s founding vision, its battle against advertising blacklists, the creation of the Samizdat Prize for courage in defense of the First Amendment, and the broader state of journalism in the United States.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. RealClearPolitics' Mission in a Divided America
- Viewpoint Diversity as a Core Value
- RCP goes against the grain of hyper-partisan media by offering a platform where left, right, and center voices coexist.
- “We went counterintuitive and we said we want to maintain a place where both sides get their news and where viewpoint diversity...is actually demonstrated daily.” (David, 04:08)
- Audience and Influence
- The platform attracts not only general readers but also policy shapers, political operatives, and even those from “closed” ideological communities to gain insight into rival views.
- Aggregating and Original Content
- RCP is best known for its polling average: “We take a number of polls, we put them together and we divide by the number. And it turns out to be very predictive of what's going to happen on a given election.” (David, 07:21)
- Beyond politics, RCP extends into topic-specific verticals: culture, books, religion, education, energy, etc.
2. Challenges and Retaliation for Upholding Viewpoint Diversity
- Advertising Blacklists and Financial Pressures
- RCP faces ad starvation and blacklisting not for taking sides, but for refusing to commit to a single narrative.
- “Real Clear is put on like a do not buy list...because we show another side from what the corporate media and the mainstream media is selling.” (David, 12:17)
- DeRosiers recalls historical advertising biases favoring left-leaning publications, noting little has changed amid the tech-centric ad economy.
- The Mechanisms of Censorship
- “They browned out free speech through advertising starvation...the way that you can censor people is to starve them of income.” (David, 14:17)
- Rewards are plentiful for outlets toeing the dominant line on issues like COVID, but punitive for dissenters.
- Ongoing Resilience
- “We're not going to quit you. We're going to make sure we cover both sides.” (David, 16:55)
3. The Samizdat Prize: Defending the First Amendment
- Origins and Purpose
- “Samizdat” (Russian: underground publishing) evokes the fight against totalitarian censorship.
- The Samizdat Prize, given by the RealClear Media Fund, honors individuals who manifest “First Amendment courage.”
- “The goal...was to really identify and highlight people who manifested First Amendment courage...those people are rare in number.” (David, 18:33)
- What Sets the Prize Apart
- Contrasts with other awards: “We have bad movies that...can’t even fill up a theater...because the Oscars incentivize bad movies. Our journalism has suffered...because the Pulitzer and the Polk incentivized bad journalism.” (David, 18:33)
- The Sammies seek to “praise better,” recognizing those who pay a price for principled dissent.
- Notable Honorees
- 2026 Honorees include:
- Charlie Kirk (Turning Point USA),
- Alan Dershowitz (“a Peter Pan of the First Amendment”),
- George Linehan (Irish writer exiled in the UK for a “like” post critical of gender ideology).
- Stories of resilience against “Orwellianism” are intentionally global in scope.
- 2026 Honorees include:
- The Bigger Movement
- The prize is crowd-funded and meant to grow into an institution akin to the Pulitzers or Oscars, but for free speech.
4. The Future and Long-Term Ambitions
- Rivalling Prestigious Awards
- “We want to build an institution that rivals the Pulitzer and rivals the Oscars, but does so for free speech.” (David, 29:10)
- Combating Human Nature’s Tribalism
- “Within the soul of every American...is a problem that...the First Amendment addresses up front: We all think if you disagree with us, you're either dumb or evil.” (David, 29:37)
- Emphasis on “reminding every American your understanding of the good does not allow you to coerce another.” (David, 30:27)
5. State of Journalism and Its Role in American Civic Life
- Objectivity Lost, Partisanship Returned
- The brief “golden age” of a common media ethos has given way to tribal press divides reminiscent of early American history.
- “That time is dead. It died before the internet...there was a movement afoot...where it’s more a partisan war of perspectives.” (David, 32:04)
- The Dangers of Pretended Objectivity
- “Most people have recognized [mainstream claims of neutrality] are a joke...it’s all hat, no cowboy.” (David, 34:00)
- Press Bias as Product of Systemic Issues
- Ideological capture—“Progressives overcame the liberals in the ranks and drove them out...that’s a pedagogy that's been taught from Pre K to PhD.” (David, 34:57)
- The Solution: More Free and Competitive Speech
- “The solution to the pollution...is not...less freedom, less press freedom. It’s going to be solved with more.” (David, 35:17)
- Advocates for citizen vigilance and broad reading habits: “Always think that someone has an interest or an ideology pushing something, and that makes you a better citizen.” (David, 36:25)
Memorable Quotes
- “We actually went counterintuitive and we said we want to maintain a place where both sides get their news and where viewpoint diversity...is demonstrated daily.” (David, 04:08)
- “The reason why we have a First Amendment is because you have to...keep the scientific method of civics where people disagree about the most important things.” (David, 04:41)
- “You can censor people...by starving them of income.” (David, 14:17)
- “Samizdat means...underground publishing. Starting in 2016, we thought the United States was entering kind of [an] Orwellian inflection point.” (David, 18:33)
- “We give out three $25,000 prizes. This is an idea, a movement that's bigger than an event. We're better together.” (David, 27:32)
- "The solution to the pollution...is more free speech, not less.” (David, 35:17)
- “Within the soul of every American, every human being is a problem...We all think if you disagree with us, you're either dumb or evil.” (David, 29:37)
Important Timestamps
| Time | Discussion Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------| | 00:00-04:08 | RCP’s Vision and Countercultural Mission | | 07:21 | Real Clear Polling Average Explained | | 12:17 | Advertising Blacklists and Pressures | | 18:33 | Samizdat Prize: Purpose and Spirit | | 22:00 | 2026 Awardees and Global Censorship | | 29:10 | Long-Term Goals — Building a Free Speech Institution | | 32:04 | Journalism’s Decline & Return of Rival Partisan Press| | 35:17 | The Solution: More Competitive Free Speech | | 36:25 | Advice for Citizens: Seek Viewpoint Diversity |
Tone & Delivery
The discussion balances measured critique with a sense of urgency about the state of American discourse, leveraging historical analogy, personal anecdotes, and a defense of classical liberal values throughout. David’s perspective is academic yet accessible, leaning on lived experience and the institution-building ethos of RealClear.
For Further Information
- Visit: RealClear Media Fund / Samizdat Prize
- Event Details: The Samizdat (Sammie) Prize, February 11th, The Breakers (see website for details)
- Past Recipients: Featured on the website
- Advocacy: “If you think free speech is important...we invite you to join us.” (David, 28:15)
This summary covers the episode’s primary content, arguments, and key moments, and is intended as a rich, stand-alone guide for those who may not have listened.