During a recent appearance on CBS’ “The Late Show,” Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the media landscape, suggesting that CBS is part of an “oligarchy” where a few wealthy individuals control both the economy and media in the U.S. He highlighted extreme income and wealth inequality, citing that the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%, and criticized billionaire influence on politics due to the Citizens United ruling.
Sanders specifically mentioned Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in his criticisms, stating that ownership of media is increasingly concentrated among wealthy individuals. Host Stephen Colbert agreed with Sanders, correlating this concentration of power with authoritarianism. Both expressed discontent over CBS’s recent $16 million settlement with Donald Trump regarding censorship, which they viewed as a dangerous precedent threatening First Amendment rights. CBS has received backlash from journalists and lawmakers over this issue.
