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Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ heavily featured liberal guests, jokes targeted conservatives 87% of time in final years: study

Nypost · · 588 words · By Fox News
Media Bias Political polarization
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What to know about Media Bias

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ heavily featured liberal guests, jokes targeted conservatives 87% of time in final years: study See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 2
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left12%
Center76%
Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ heavily featured liberal guests, jokes targeted conservatives 87% of time in final years: study See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleThe final years of CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” overwhelmingly featured liberal guests and jokes targeting conservatives, according to a new study conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC).

Common ground

MRC news analyst Alex Christy examined every “Late Show” joke since the start of 2023 and found that a staggering 87% have targeted conservatives and nearly every guest was liberal.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/22/media/stephen-colberts-late-show-heavily-featured-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 9
schedule Pending 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Lefty journalists John Dickeron and Anderson Cooper ranked second with eight apiece”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “Colbert joked about George Santos 269 times, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 208 times, Republicans in general 180 times, Vice President JD Vance 151 times, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth 146 times, Elon Musk 143 times, ex-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem 106 and Rudy Giuliani 104 times, according to the study.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The detailed breakdown of joke counts for George Santos, RFK Jr., etc., is reported by Slay News citing the MRC study. No other independent sources corroborate these specific figures.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Beck
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In political science, a political ideology is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_ideologies
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Randal Howard Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Kentucky since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he is the chair of the Senat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “Former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of Trump, was the only person considered a conservative to appear on the “Late Show” during that time, according to the study.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 4: “Former President Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004, managed to be the butt of a Colbert 24 times during the same span.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that Ronald Reagan was the subject of 24 jokes is reported by Slay News citing the MRC study. No other independent sources corroborate this specific count.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ronald Wilson Reagan[a] (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan
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web search NEUTRAL — By comparison, Eric Trump was the subject of 84 jokes while Donald Trump Jr. was targeted 56 times. The study also noted that former President Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004, was referenced in 24 jok…
https://slaynews.com/study-finds-stephen-colberts-show-domin…
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web search NEUTRAL — Stephen Colbert travels to London for an extended conversation with legendary actor Gary Oldman, who stars in the AppleTV+ series "Slow Horses," a show the a...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvRVJ8g2nnk
schedule
Claim 5: “Far-left comedian John Oliver joined the CBS late-night show nine times from September 6, 2002, through May 21, 2026, to finish with the most appearances.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “The final years of CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” overwhelmingly featured liberal guests and jokes targeting conservatives, according to a new study conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC).”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is based on a study by the Media Research Center (MRC). While the MRC is a known entity (Wikipedia), the specific findings regarding the 'final years' of the show are only reported in the provided Slay News snippet. No other independent news organizations are cited as corroborating these specific results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Media Research Center (MRC) is an American conservative content analysis and media watchdog group based in Herndon, Virginia, and founded in 1987 by L. Brent Bozell III. The nonprofit MRC has rece…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Research_Center
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) is an academic medical center located on Northwestern University's Chicago campus in Streeterville, Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship campus for Northwestern M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_Memorial_Hospital
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Daily Show is an American late-night talk and news satire television program. Launched in 1996, the half-hour show airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with ex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Show
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “Colbert only joked about former Vice President Kamala Harris 21 times during that three-year period, according to the study.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for claim 6 mentions the MRC study generally but does not contain the specific number (21) of jokes regarding Kamala Harris.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The study, conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC), examined every joke delivered on Colbert’s program from the beginning of 2023 through the show’s final episode and concluded that the vast majo…
https://slaynews.com/study-finds-stephen-colberts-show-domin…
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web search NEUTRAL — Go to https://SAN.com/surrounded to get unbiased, straight facts.You can Download the app through our link or search Straight Arrow News in your app store.Ar...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK-liQhqPjs
info
Claim 8: “Eric Trump, on the other hand, was the butt of 84 jokes while Colbert mocked Donald Trump Jr. 56 times.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that Eric Trump was the subject of 84 jokes and Donald Trump Jr. 56 jokes is reported by Slay News citing the MRC study. No other independent sources corroborate these specific figures.
info
Claim 9: “MRC news analyst Alex Christy examined every “Late Show” joke since the start of 2023 and found that a staggering 87% have targeted conservatives and nearly every guest was liberal.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific statistics (87% of jokes targeting conservatives) are attributed to an MRC analysis reported by Slay News. No other independent sources corroborate these specific percentages.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dick Clark Productions, LLC (DCP, historically stylized in lowercase as dick clark productions or dcp) is an American multinational television production company founded by radio and television host D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Clark_Productions
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — MRC: Multi-Racing Championship is a racing video game developed by Genki and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. It was published in North America and Europe by Ocean and in Japan by Imagineer. The …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRC:_Multi-Racing_Championship
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saltburn is a 2023 dark comedy thriller film written, directed, and produced by Emerald Fennell, starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltburn_(film)
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “First lady Melania Trump finished just outside the top ten, with Colbert poking fun at her 100 times.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that Melania Trump was referenced in 100 jokes is reported by Slay News citing the MRC study. No other independent sources confirm this specific count.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — First Lady Melania Trump was referenced in 100 jokes, while Florida Gov.By comparison, Eric Trump was the subject of 84 jokes while Donald Trump Jr. was targeted 56 times. The study also noted that fo…
https://slaynews.com/study-finds-stephen-colberts-show-domin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Stephen Colbert mocks Melania Trump's decision to wear the 'I really don't care, do u?' jacket.Colbert noted that the First Lady's spokeswoman said in a statement that the jacket had "no hidden messag…
https://www.businessinsider.com/colbert-jokes-about-melania-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — America's First Lady returns to The Late Show to show off her new look and to preview what her husband will say in his speech before Congress this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpRqJH549II
info
Claim 11: “Hunter Biden... was only joked about four times.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that Hunter Biden was joked about four times is reported by Slay News citing the MRC study. No other independent sources corroborate this specific count.
info
Claim 12: “According to the study, Colbert made 3,639 jokes about President Donald Trump from Jan. 3, 2023, through the eve of his final episode.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific number of 3,639 jokes about Donald Trump is reported by Slay News as part of the MRC study. No other independent sources confirm this specific count.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mary Lea Trump (born May 3, 1965) is an American psychologist, author, and political commentator. She is the niece of Donald Trump. Her first book, Too Much and Never Enough (2020), which recounts her…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_L._Trump
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( kohl-BAIR; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the Comedy Central new…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night news talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which aired from September 8, 2015, to May 21, 2026. The show is the second and final iteration o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late_Show_with_Stephen_Col…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 13: “When it comes to Colbert’s guests, the study found that 99% were openly liberal or considered liberal by the MRC.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 14: “Former President Joe Biden was the target of 339 jokes during that time”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for claim 3 does not contain the specific number of jokes (339) regarding Joe Biden. The Slay News snippet provided in the evidence for claim 3 mentions Hunter Biden, but not the count for Joe Biden.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 United States presidential election in California took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is the list of episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that aired in 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Late_Show_with_Ste…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Special Relationship, a term used to describe relations between the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), first came into popular usage following a 1946 speech by former UK Prime Ministe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Relationship
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.