Late-night television had been fighting for its survival even before “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was canceled this week.

The network’s stated reason for canceling the show has the sheen of believability. It’s true that the late-night ecosystem is struggling. Still, Colbert’s show has consistently led the ratings for its time slot. CBS and Paramount Global, The Atlantic contended on Thursday, no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Molly McPherson, a reputation and crisis strategist, accurately predicted Astronomer's next moves on TikTok after a recent PR crisis involving it's CEO, Andy Byron, at a Coldplay concert. (Credit: Tik