From: allin
Megyn Kelly’s career saw a significant shift from mainstream media networks like NBC and Fox News to independent broadcasting, driven by a desire for autonomy and a belief in the urgent need for independent voices in the media landscape [00:00:11]. Her show at NBC was cancelled, leading to her departure [00:00:01]. Kelly herself states that the tail end of her time “working for the machine” was particularly challenging [00:01:36].
Reasons for the Transition
Kelly expresses significantly more happiness as an independent broadcaster [00:01:55]. This transition fundamentally altered her view on cancel culture, which she now sees as a process that “separates individuals from companies where they do not belong where the values are not aligned” [00:02:03]. She found it unimaginable to be at NBC or Fox News and “having to comport with their rules on how we talk about these very dicey issues that are all over the news today” [00:02:16]. Kelly believed it was “just a matter of time before I was cancelled” within that environment [00:02:23].
While her show at NBC ended, she clarifies she was not “forced” to become an independent broadcaster, but was free to seek another job [00:04:00]. However, she experienced a “couple of years there that were dark and depressing” [00:04:13], viewing the industry as “incredibly disgusting and toxic and awful” [00:04:18]. She did not want to return to an environment that stimulated outrage, made her “a bad person and unhappy,” or required her to push someone else’s agenda [00:04:30].
Her motivation to return to broadcasting arose during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social unrest, particularly the events surrounding George Floyd [00:04:41]. She felt a strong aversion to being forced to do things or being bullied, stating it’s “in my DNA to stand up against them” [00:05:04]. Despite initial fears that nobody would watch or listen to her podcast [00:05:22], she decided to proceed, starting four years prior to this discussion [00:05:35].
Independent Media Success
Kelly’s independent show has achieved significant success, becoming the “largest broadcaster in the news category on YouTube,” surpassing CNN and Fox News’ YouTube channels [00:02:31]. Her independent company operates with a small team of six producers [00:02:44], a stark contrast to the estimated 15 producers she had at Fox and CNN’s Anderson Cooper show, which reportedly had around 100 staffers [00:02:54].
In July, her single show with six producers achieved two-thirds of CNN’s YouTube audience, and “did Crush CBS and NBC” [00:03:07]. She notes that while CNN’s multi-billion dollar budget goes into their broadcasts and YouTube feed, her show with minimal resources achieved comparable reach [00:03:12].
Approach to Content and Journalistic Philosophy
As an independent broadcaster, Kelly is the “decider” of her content, free from network influence [00:05:56]. Her producers, some of whom have been with her for over 10 to 15 years since her early shows at Fox News, understand what ignites her “fire in the belly” [00:06:16]. This passion is typically not outrage, but a strong feeling about the news [00:06:29].
She views broadcasting as “therapy,” allowing her to “say what I know is true” about the news [00:06:41]. Her core principles for content selection include:
- Free Speech [00:07:01].
- Support for Law Enforcement – Having a brother who is a retired police officer, she is “sick of the lies that have been told about cops” and highlights their low pay, risk, and lack of glory, noting the media’s tendency to ruin lives without due process [00:07:06].
- Due Process and Fairness – Drawing on her decade of legal practice, she is fired up when someone is “unfairly railroaded” [00:08:03].
- Transgender Issues and Children – Kelly has taken a strong stance on issues like “biological men in locker rooms” and children receiving hormones or gender-affirming surgeries, stating that men cannot become women and do not belong in women’s spaces [00:08:13]. She dismisses being called a “bigot” or “Turf” by men “posing as women” whom she believes are trying to shame her [00:09:50]. She views the rise in gender identity issues as a “social contagion,” particularly affecting autistic children who can become obsessed after stumbling upon related online content [00:12:15]. She criticizes the medical community’s “affirmative” standard that overlooks underlying issues like family divorce or sexual assault, and the practice of schools hiding a child’s gender transition from parents [00:13:34].
Political Commentary and Outlook on the Future
Kelly identifies as a registered independent, having voted equally for Democrat and Republican presidential candidates in the past [00:15:20]. She believes that Donald Trump is currently “better positioned to win than he’s ever been in any election before” [00:16:12], citing polls and historical election data [00:16:16]. While Trump’s outsider status from 2016 is less prominent, he now has a record of policies that Kelly describes as “incredibly good for America” [00:19:13], despite his “divisive toxic” rhetoric [00:19:39].
She contrasts Kamala Harris with Hillary Clinton, calling Clinton “incredibly competent” [00:20:00], but stating that Kamala Harris is “not smart” and “not a deep thinker,” exhibiting a “surface level” approach [00:20:26]. She criticizes Harris’s first interview with Dana Bash on CNN, describing Bash’s performance as “terribly” done due to a lack of aggressive follow-up questions [00:21:44]. Kelly also discusses Donald Trump’s legal challenges, asserting that all five cases against him, both civil and criminal, are part of a coordinated effort by “five different jurisdictions, five different prosecutors, five different juries and/or judges all conspiring to get him” [00:28:08]. She believes Trump will not serve jail time as she expects his appeals to be successful given the “holes in that case” [00:26:48].
Kelly expresses pessimism about the future of politics, describing politicians as “congressional Kardashians” focused on clicks and fame [00:30:40]. She believes the incentives to be a good person in Washington D.C. are “gone” due to the influence of “big money in politics” and a lack of incentive for compromise [00:32:19]. She advocates for a return to the original founding version of the country with minimal government involvement [00:33:00]. Kelly believes the solution to societal and political issues is “bottom up,” emphasizing community, human connection, and a renewed love for the country [00:34:00].