Shows like Colbert are doing great. Why? Everyone else is complaining about how TV is getting worse but Colbert is both good and popular.
What’s their secret? I heard one of their producers speak recently and they said basically:
The Colbert Report strategy on New Media
1. Avoid topics that have been processed
2. Make things that are viral. All 22 minutes that are full of highly shareable moments. Not 2 min of clickbait.
3. We are nothing without the New Yorker or the NYTimes. We popularize others work.
What does it mean? Make fresh insights with the material you find, and make it really shareable and memorable. Simple I guess. Entertain people with stuff you judge important.