A Guide to Independent Leftist News
By: Sung Kim
Tags: Communism, Leftism, Socialism, News

TFW you switch to independent Leftist news sources

There are several factors that have contributed to the pro-corporate hellscape we are in today. I am going to address one of them: deliberate misinformation from corporate-sponsored news.

In “Manufacturing Consent,” Noam Chomsky wrote that it is the role of elite corporate-sponsored media (NYT/Washington Post/NPR/cable news in the US) to set the agenda of debate in our country for the ruling class. They do this by selecting the topics of the day, through framing of issues, filtering of information and setting the boundaries of the debate within set limits.

Issues and conversations which do not benefit the ruling class, EX: the deaths of millions of children caused by sanctions and drone & proxy in the Middle East, our domestic surveillance program, the imprisonment and exile of journalists and the large scale working-class protests and socialist movements happening in countries like India are not discussed in any critical way.

Misinformation and confirmation bias are existential threats to our society. Good sources are invaluable within our current landscape of corporate news, state sponsored propaganda and QAnon. So how do we fix our news diet?

Step 1: Turn off corporate sponsored cable news, NPR, New York Times and Washington Post.

Step 2: Find independent journalists you can trust, consume, spread and support their work.

The rest of article addresses Step 2, and I am publishing it as a resource for independent Leftist news. Feel free to bookmark this page and reach out with your own suggestions. I will be updating periodically.

Podcasts (+ 2 YouTube Shows)

Podcasts are great for independent creators because they level the playing field in terms of cost of entry. This is a big reason for the quantity and range of independent Leftist voices available in the format. As long as you have a mic, and can afford basic hosting fees, you can launch a podcast. Many podcasters depend on periodic donations from listeners to exist. I highly encourage anyone who enjoys any of the independent podcasts listed below to consider becoming a sponsor of their Patreon (if one exists). This helps ensure that the creators can continue delivering quality content

Podcasts are how I absorb about 1/3 of the news I follow. They are ideal for long commutes or other passive listening opportunities throughout the day. Many podcasters also publish video versions on YouTube, but I prefer to download and listen at my own speed. If you’re new to podcasts, you’ll first need to pick a podcast player. My personal favorite is Overcast, due to its handy customization features. One thing to note is that not every podcast is available for every player. Some of the bigger players like Spotify own exclusive rights to podcasts, but none of the ones listed below fall into that category. That said, here are some of my favorites:

Southpaw is a podcast that was started as a Leftist answer to the “Joe Rogan Experience” by two friends of mine, Sam and Paul. It’s a podcast where the 2 vectors of discussion are martial arts and Leftism. They have THE best MMA fight previews and post-fight recaps in the game, but are also a great source for deep dives into Leftist theory including interviews tackling heavy topics like settler colonialism in an accessible way. Southpaw is also a community of Leftists like myself, and we have expanded its footprint into a Facebook group, a Discord chat, a Patreon and a worldwide network of friends and supporters. Leftist Martial-arts may sound super-niche, but it is super-necessary, as the martial arts world has been inundated with an unhealthy and lopsided amount of fascism. Southpaw is the antioxidant pill to counter fascism and toxicity in our sport and in our communities. If any of this interests you, subscribe to the pod, and join the fight!

The single best podcast based news source I can recommend is my friend Sean’s podcast, called “Tribunus Plebis”. Sean, who is also an active member of Southpaw community (see above), is a trucker with a mic, a laptop, and a gift for communication. He breaks down multi-layered problems and complex news stories from a Leftist perspective with more nuance than anyone I’ve ever subscribed to. His whole library is worth listening to, but I recommend starting with Episode 6 on Performative Politics. His history episodes on Mother Jones (the person, not the magazine) and The Bread & Roses Strike are absolute gems as well. To understand where we are headed as a working/middle-class movement, it is critical that we understand where we came from. Tribunus Plebis Podcast has been a great help for me in this regard.

If I could recommend a single news source to a non-radical friend, it would be Rising on The Hill. It is an easily consumable, daily morning news program on YouTube featuring a glossy co-anchor studio format that looks and feels familiar to anyone born before 2000, but with a twist. The twist is that Rising’s co-anchors analyze politics from an anti-establishment perspective. Krystal Ball, comes from a Leftist perspective, while Saagar Enjeti, has a somewhat confusing, but interesting “populist-Right” perspective. Rising on The Hill provides 7–8 segments, published on The Hill’s YouTube Channel on weekdays, and also does special coverage of live events. If you like your news in a traditional anchor-centered visual TV format, replacing network or cable news with Rising will make you much more informed.

Secular Talk is the YouTube channel of Kyle Kulinski. Kyle is one of the co-founders of the grass-roots political action committee, Justice Democrats, and a self-described “reformist” and not a radical. I’m somewhere in between the two, and Kyle was one of the influences that pulled me further Left when I discovered his show during Obama’s first term. I thoroughly enjoy Kyle’s analysis of politics, and theory for change. He’s also a great follow on Twitter.

Jimmy Dore is a stand-up comedian who pivoted into the political commentary space. Prior to this, he was a host on The Young Turks, but parted ways due to philosophical differences with (Jimmy is quite a bit further Left politically than TYT). The show is delivered via audio podcast, and also in segments on YouTube. While his style is not for everyone, as he is the angriest, most abrasive person on this list, he is passionate and consistent in his commitment to fighting for the living conditions of the American working class. More often than not, Jimmy’s takes are hilarious, and spot-on in analysis of events and trends in American politics.

You may recognize Briahna Joy Gray as the former National Press Secretary for the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign. She recently started the Bad Faith Podcast with Virgil Texas, who was formerly part of the Chapo Traphouse podcast. This show stands out for the quality of its interviews. Recent guests include Leftist heavy hitters like Noam Chomsky, Boots Riley, Cornell West and Sara Nelson. The two hosts have great chemistry, and Brie specifically is never shy about challenging guests with tough questions.

Deconstructed is a podcast produced by The Intercept, a Left-leaning news site, and hosted by one of my favorite traditional journalists, Ryan Grimm. This is a weekly show that focuses on a single topic per episode, from analysis of current news like the leaked audio from Joe Biden’s recent meeting with black leaders, to more heady topics like the Rise of QAnon within the Republican Party.

Current Affairs Podcast

Current Affairs is one of the more established Leftist news sites. I’m actually new to them, but they have an all-star list of guests, and have addressed a lot of diverse topics like Modern Monetary Theory with Stephanie Kelton, tenant strikes and the absurd level of narcissism in Obama’s 3rd best-selling autobiography.

This podcast is currently on hiatus as of August 2020, but Primo Nutmeg has one of the best libraries of interviews with prominent and interesting Leftists and anti-establishment figures like Noam Chomsky, Oliver Stone, Ron Paul, Primo was also the only person I’m aware of to cover the mess of the 2020 Green Party primary, which in my opinion, squandered a golden opportunity to hit the 5% third party federal funding threshold by running Howie Hawkins over Gov Jesse Ventura.

Useful Idiots with Matt Taibbi & Katie Halper

Useful Idiots is a podcast produced by Rolling Stone, and features Matt Taibbi, one of my favorite Leftist journalists, and writer/comedian/journalist Katie Halper. This show covers serious topics in a conversation-between-friends type of way, making it a bit easier to digest than other political pods. Matt and Katie are heavy on sarcasm, but cover the bases and facts around American and global political issues.

More details to come on the following podcasts:

Lions Led By Donkeys

Revolutionary Left Radio

Working People w/ Maximilian Alvarez

Online News

I personally don’t consume much news via websites, but if you do, there are some reliable independent Lefist sources. All of the names of websites are hyperlinked below, and editors/founders/contributor names are linked to their Twitter accounts, if available.

Current Affairs

Current Affairs started out as a bi-monthly print and web magazine, founded by Editor-in-Chief Nathan J Robinson. Nathan is a trustworthy news source, who has made Current Affairs into into an important voice in the online Left. CA has expanded into podcasting, and produce a good one (referenced above). CA also launched the journalism career of Briahna Gray Joy.

Black Agenda Report w/ Margaret Kimberley

Margaret Kimberly had been one of my favorite follows on Twitter for a while. I somehow had several conversations with her there before finding out that she is the editor of Black Agenda Report. I was put on to BAR by my friend Kristan, and have gone ham on their article archive. Something that has been largely lost in modern black activism is the socialist/Communist roots of black radical movements of the Civil Rights era. BAR fills that void.

Jacobin

Jacobin is an online and quarterly print magazine, and one of the older Leftist news sites, which was popularized during the Bernie Sanders 2016 Democratic primary run. Jacobin’s Editor-at-Large is Bernie’s ex-speechwriter and advisor, David Sirota, who is a trustworthy and well-known figure on the Left. Jacobin feels like it has been shifting a bit pro-imperialist as of late, but as far as progressive news sources with resources, reach and scope, they’re one of the largest and more reliable ones.

Teen MF’ing Vogue

Yes, that Teen Vogue

People think I’m joking whenever I recommend Conde Naste’s Teen Vogue, but ever since Lindsay Peoples Wagner got the EIC job in 2019, Teen Vogue has been doing the best Leftist news coverage in the mainstream publishing world, with a heavy focus on social issues.

Wikileaks

Wikileaks is the OG whistleblower non-profit website. Wikileaks still touts a 100% accuracy rate. Also, free Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Reality Winner.

An Injustice on Medium

Gotta give these guys a shout-out. They are an aggregator of Leftist writers on Medium, and they picked up my RBG essay when I first started my channel here. They do a great job curating, give a megaphone to writers with tiny followings like me, and feature some fantastic artwork.

People

This is a list of important Leftist and Leftist-friendly individuals who are not directly involved in a regular podcast or news outlet. Links to Twitter accounts are included where applicable.

Cornel West

Dr West is the Left’s most charismatic figure, a living legend in academia, and possibly our loudest and most critical voice. He is absolutely fearless, and at this point, untouchable in reputation and resume among modern Leftists. Dr West was one of the first people with a platform to criticize Barack Obama back in 2007–08, and is an unapologetic socialist. I don’t have a lot of heroes, but Dr West is at the top of the list of mine.

Stephanie Kelton

Stephanie Kelton is not a Leftist. She is an academic in the field of macroeconomics, whose work in the field of MMT (modern monetary theory) is exciting, critical and potentially world changing. Kelton’s book, “The Deficit Myth” is critical reading for any Leftist, and is in the words of my friend Amar Reganti, “has turned the tide on deficit thinking.”

Glenn Greenwald

Glenn was one of the founders of The Intercept, where he was one of the loudest critics of Democratic Party corruption from the Left and was one of the few prominent traditional journalists, to counter mainstream media’s coddling of AIPAC, the US government’s treatment of Julian Assange, and Russiagate. He now writes exclusively on Substack, following a fallout with the other editors over censorship, related to Glenn’s criticism of Joe Biden.

Caitlin Johnstone

Caitlin is one of the most prolific independent writers on Medium & Substack. She works out of Australia, but has some of the most compelling takedowns of American crony capitalism I’ve ever read. She’s a great follow on Twitter as well. Caitlin is one of the best examples of a modern independent voice of the Left finding an audience outside of traditional mainstream journalism.

Ryan Grim

Ryan is DC bureau chief of The Intercept & frequent contributor, and ocassional co-host Rising on The Hill. He is one of the most reliable traditional political journalists with a refreshing independent streak.

Maximilian Alvarez

Max is someone who is in my opinion, one of the most important voices for the American working class. His interview on Southpaw is a good starting point to understanding his work and perspective. His work has been featured in publications including The Nation, Current Affairs, and In These Times. He is the host of Working People Podcast which does deep dives into working class stories and politics.

Aaron Maté

Aaron is a writer and frequent contributor to The Nation and Grayzone. He was one the first traditional journalists to question Russiagate in his work, and remains a tireless, vocal and reliable source for news from a Leftist perspective.

Adolph Reed Jr

Dr Reed is a journalist, author and professor at University of Pennsylvania, who is an unapologetic Marxist. He doesn’t have much of an online presence, but whenever I see him as an interview subject or in a writing credit, I tune in. He is one of the best voices for Leftism in academia. Check out his article “The Myth of Class Reductionism” for a sample of his work and perspective.

Zaid Jilani

Zaid is an oddball on this list. He is not a Leftist. What he is, is a thoroughly independent journalist, who often has some of the most unique takes on American politics in professional news media. Zaid is a frequent contributor to Rising on The Hill. I’ve gotten into it with him a couple times on Twitter, but have always respected his work. He does come out of left field with some of his takes though, so don’t follow him if you’re upset easily.

Sara Nelson

Sara Nelson is one of my favorite American leaders. She is the fire breathing, clear headed, charismatic president of the American Flight Attendants union, and every one of her interviews and speeches leaves me feeling fired up and slightly more positive about the future.

Listen to her interview on Bad Faith Podcast to get an idea of who Sara is. She is the opposite of a Nancy Pelosi or Mitch McConnell. She is a fighter. She IS the good guys. She is part of labor, a flight attendant, but is positioned to have the power and initiative to halt all flights out of any city in America right now if she and the 50,000 members of the union she represents decide that it is time.

Stuff to Stay Away From:

CNN/MSNBC/NY Times/Washington Post — Getting off the familiar teat of mainstream news media is the steepest part of the shift to Leftism from Liberalism, but once you are able to get over this obstacle, you start seeing the world for what it is. I don’t know anyone who has taken this step and ever gone back.

PBS /NPR — Bush-era cuts to the NEA did a number on PBS/NPR, which is now sadly thinly veiled sponsored content for the oil industry and big banks.

Bill Maher — He used to be a left-leaning Liberal Bernie supporter who took a hard turn into a Democratic Party whip/loudmouth, whose platform has basically become shaming the young activist Left to stop asking for ridiculous short-sighted, selfish millennial wishlist things like healthcare, student loan relief.

Pod Save America — This is the most popular Centrist/corporatist Liberal podcast, and where a lot of Leftists started from, before discovering that Liberalism and Leftism are not synonymous. My mans Aren Lebrun put it best:

The Pod Save America guys are yellow-bellied descendants of empire and genocide whose West Wing ass Potemkin critique of American politics is marketed in direct proportion to its usefulness in kneecapping revolutionary fervor.

Virginia Heffernan — She is possibly liberal mainstream media’s worst political journalist.

The Lincoln Project — Republican Grifters

Hollywood Twitter Libs — Alyssa Milano, George Takei, Chrissy Teigen/John Legend, Jemele Hill, Debra Messing, Soledad O’Brien are all trash voices. Don’t get your political opinions, medical advice or stock tips from these morons.

Proceed w/ Caution:

The Young Turks — There was a time when TYT was THE news source for anti-establishment voters from the Left. Things changed significantly in the quality and bias in their reporting after Clinton megadonor Jeffrey Katzenberg invested $20M into the network. I’d put TYT as left of mainstream cable news, but a far cry from the anti-establishment roots they were founded on.

Last edited 12/21/2020