Talk radio can't work unless you have the kind of independence

The words of Alan Colmes resonate with the enduring struggle between truth and influence, between the voice that serves the people and the voice that serves power. “Talk radio can’t work unless you have the kind of independence you get by being part of an independent news network. You can’t be beholden to an agenda, and that’s what I like about Fox: It doesn’t have one.” In these words, Colmes speaks not merely of broadcasting, but of freedom of expression — that sacred flame that gives light to discourse, debate, and democracy itself. His statement reminds us that independence in communication is not just a professional virtue; it is the lifeblood of integrity, the very soul of truth.

To understand the origin of this quote, one must know the man who spoke it. Alan Colmes was a liberal voice in a conservative sea — a radio host and television commentator known for his measured tone and moral conviction. For years, he stood as a co-host on Hannity & Colmes, where his role was to bring balance and reason to impassioned debate. His words came not from arrogance, but from experience — from standing daily at the crossroads of opinion, where integrity is tested by the winds of politics and persuasion. When Colmes spoke of “independence,” he meant not isolation, but the courage to stand unbent in the face of pressure, to let truth guide the tongue rather than ideology.

In the world of talk radio, where voices rise like thunder and arguments burn like wildfire, independence is the rarest and most precious virtue. Without it, the messenger becomes a servant of hidden masters — of sponsors, of factions, of fear. Colmes knew that true communication must be rooted in intellectual honesty, not allegiance. “You can’t be beholden to an agenda,” he said, for once your words are owned, your truth no longer belongs to you. This is the eternal law of all truth-tellers — from the philosophers of Athens to the prophets of old — that freedom of speech without freedom of mind is but an illusion.

History offers many examples of this peril and its cost. Recall Galileo Galilei, who dared to speak of the Earth’s motion and was silenced by those who could not bear the truth. His science was independent, but his world was not ready for it. Or think of Socrates, condemned not for lies, but for questioning the comfort of the powerful. Both men paid dearly for their independence, yet their words outlived their oppressors. Their legacies endure because they chose truth over favor, integrity over obedience. In Colmes’s reflection, one hears that same eternal plea — that the voice of reason must never surrender to the voice of conformity.

Colmes’s mention of Fox News — that it “doesn’t have an agenda” — must be understood not as naïve praise, but as an expression of hope for what journalism ought to be: a forum of open discourse where differing perspectives may clash without corruption. Whether one agrees with his assessment or not, the essence of his message remains unshaken — that when media serves principle rather than politics, it becomes the guardian of democracy. The independence of journalism is not merely an institutional ideal; it is a covenant with the people, a promise that information will not be chained by influence.

But the struggle for independence is not confined to newsrooms or airwaves. It exists within every human heart. Each of us, in our own way, faces the temptation to conform, to bend our words for acceptance or gain. Yet the ancients taught that truth spoken with courage is the highest form of service. Just as a free press guards a nation, so too does a free conscience guard the soul. To be “beholden to no agenda” is to live authentically — to speak what is right, even when it is not rewarded, and to act with conviction, even when the crowd jeers instead of cheers.

Therefore, let this be the lesson drawn from Colmes’s words: cherish your independence — of thought, of speech, of purpose. Do not sell it for comfort or applause. For the voice that serves only its master becomes an echo, while the voice that serves truth becomes eternal. Whether in journalism, in art, in governance, or in one’s own private life, freedom must begin within. As long as there are those who dare to speak without fear, truth will never perish, and humanity will never lose its light.

And so, remember this ancient truth: independence is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all. Let your words be your own, your principles unbent, and your voice a torch for others to follow. For a world filled with obedient voices may be loud, but it will never be wise. Only through independence — of thought, of heart, and of spirit — can we preserve the most sacred gift of all: the power to speak truth in the face of silence.