Top 13 Progressive News Shows on YouTube

I wrote about the Best progressive news shows during the Democratic primary. Now with Trump as president, and interest in progressive news on the rise, it’s time for an updated list.

Well before Bernie Sanders, many excellent anti-establishment news shows were popular on YouTube as alternatives to cable channels. I’ve been watching YouTube news for nearly a decade and wanted to share my favorite progressive commentators to watch. Here are 13 progressive news shows on YouTube everyone should watch.

The Young Turks

The Young Turks is the obvious go-to for progressive news on YouTube. The YouTube giant has 2.7 million followers on their main channel and is responsible for the majority of online news consumed by people under 35. They didn’t need a political revolution to become relevant, but it’s definitely helped. In addition to a daily 2-hour live show, the self-proclaimed “rebel headquarters” hosted live debate coverage, featured coverage from Primary and Caucus locations, and hosted special election night coverage on all the major voting days. Cenk, Ana, John, Jimmy, Ben and the others provide excellent insight into the news of the day. Including brutal take downs of Trump. Best yet, they’ve just raised over a million dollars and hired excellent journalists Shaun King and Nomiki Konst to join the team.

In addition to their main show, the TYT Network features numerous other channels. Check out Aggressive Progressives with Jimmy Dore, TYT Politics featuring field reporter Jordan Cheritone, a Sports Channel I’d enjoy a lot more if I cared about soccer, and the pop culture commentary show Think Tank.

The Majority Report

Sam Seder’s The Majority Report operates much more like a traditional podcast or radio show than a cable news show. The New York/New Jersey based political talk show has impressively been voted Podcastawards.com Best News/Politics podcast four years in a row.  Seder is also a part of the Ring of Fire Network. He’s established in the news world and is definitely worth a few hours of time while you’re working. Airing a live daily news commentary show hours before TYT, the Majority Report serves as the perfect morning entertainment. Oh, and it’s fucking hilarious. Appearing with Seder is Michael Brooks, a man most notable for having the best Trump impersonation of all time. For real, check it out.

Secular Talk

Despite the niche nature of the name, Secular Talk hosted by Kyle Kulinski was an excellent resource for following the 2016 Election. While undoubtedly leaning towards religious issues, he has managed to holistically cover politicians on both sides of the aisle. A solo Act from behind a desk with little to offer in terms of visuals, I enjoy the many daily video offerings. A perfect go-to while at work or while doing other things on my computer.

Recently, Kulsinski has teamed up with Cenk at TYT to launch Justice Democrats. Check it out if you want to get involved in local politics.

Tim Black

Tim Black is a Bernie-or-bust voter who provided unique perspectives on the 2016 election. He isn’t afraid to talk in-depth on issues like voter suppression, corruption, and the rigged nature of the primaries. He is a hardcore progressive and isn’t afraid to show it. His conversation with Niko House is a must watch.

The Humanist Report

The Humanist report with Mike Figueredo is a relatively new show that only took off when the 2016 election became a central issue to the channel. He films in what looks like a soundproof room with two nice screens behind him. His production looks professional and his results show. Good content and great production for a solo operation. Mike manages to have a lot of personality despite a calm and collected demeanor. A breathe of fresh air, he’s not the bombastic TV type you’re probably used to.

Thom Hartmann

Thom Hartmann is a 10 year radio-hosting vet. He also has presence on TV, including a show on RT America. According to Wikipedia, “While the show carries the RT bug, it is entirely owned by Hartmann’s company, which has contractual editorial control over the program.” He is the most popular progressive radio host in the nation and is live daily from 12 – 3 PM ET. Multiple videos uploaded daily and a aura of legitimacy make Hartmann an excellent choice for opinion news on almost any medium.

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman

When I originally wrote this, I forgot to mention Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!. Thanks to the Humanist Report fans for pointing it out! Democracy Now! is an independent, global weekday news hour anchored by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. The show broadcasts to nearly 1,400 TV, radio and Internet stations. Amy is a longtime progressive commentator. To be honest, I didn’t know the show’s YouTube channel was as full and active as it is. Amy is an excellent listen and can serve as an early morning alternate to The Majority Report if that’s not your style. It is a show that all Progressives should be familiar with.

David Pakman Show

David Pakman is well known in online progressive circles. During the 2016 election, many progressives claimed he was a Hillary shill. From my point of view, it simply wasn’t true. While he may be more realistic than many on the left, he undoubtedly is a real progressive. Great show with high quality consistent content from a well respected and experienced voice. Mister Pakman is absolutely worth your time.

The Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire had its inception on radio in 2004. According to their YouTube description, they started with a goal of, “exposing Wall Street thugs, environmental criminality, corporate media failure, and political back stories that you will rarely find from any other source.” The Ring of Fire includes Mike Papantonio, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Majority Report’s Sam Seder. It is an excellent show with worthwhile insights for progressives.

Redacted Tonight

Sharing anything from RT makes me feel weird, but Lee Camp is without a doubt an intelligent and well-intentioned progressive voice. If you are weary of RT sources, I get that, but I would suggest giving him a chance. He just may win you over.

The Jimmy Dore Show

I didn’t mention the Jimmy Dore Show in my first (or second) iteration of this blog post. That’s because he is so intricately connected to the TYT experience. However, after numerous replies on Twitter informing me that his personal channel had absolutely blown up – it was a no doubter to edit the list to feature him. Dore was amazing throughout the Democratic Primary and since. He is one of the few unabashed progressives with a strong and loyal following online. As a bonus, he’s an amazing comic who brings the jokes to every show. Lots of jokes. (secretly, I’d like Dore and Michael Brooks to do a two-man-show. The debate they had together was excellent. Google it.)

The Sane Progressive

At nearly 36,000 subscribers, it seems the Sane Progressive has come out of nowhere to be a respected voice in Progressive Politics. I don’t have much personal experience with her content, but her viewership speaks for itself. Definitely give her a watch.

The Benjamin Dixon Show

Benjamin Dixon hosts a radio-type progressive talk show. Additionally, he hosts live shows M-T at 9pm EST, allowing viewers to call in and discuss important topics. Mister Dixon is another progressive host I’ve just discovered so I don’t have a ton of insight.  His production value looks great though! I’ll definitely be keeping up with him in the months to come.

What are your favorite shows? do better resources exist that I don’t know about?