My friend, Rob, and I were in need of a good belly laugh and where better to get a healthy dose of humor served up with a side of news than at The Colbert Report. During the years of the Bush administration I relied on Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart for much of my news coverage. The actual political news was just too depressing to take in on a daily basis. When watching Comedy Central, I wondered if the Stephen Colbert we’ve all come to know and love is an entirely fictional character. And if his character is manufactured, what’s the real Stephen Colbert like?
He does an out-of-character Q&A with the audience for about 10 minutes before the taping begins. Almost any subject is free game in the Q&A. He night just be the single nicest, most genuine, humble guy in television. He plays with his staff and his audience. We could easily see the sense of camaraderie, even family, among everyone on the set. The guy is having a blast, and so is everyone alongside him. The dance of his show is complicated and quick-moving, and even with that pressure, he sees and communicates the comedy in every moment without ever appearing flustered.
“Off camera, I’m just a guy who says sh*t,” he said to us during a commercial break. While that may be true, he’s much more that. He’s a an incredible role model for us: someone who’s doing exactly what he loves with people he cares about that’s actually making a difference in our world. He gives us another viewing lens for our news and the society we’ve created in this country. He has an opinion about everything and rather than beating us over the head with it, he took the other side and made it entertaining. And both in and out of character, he’s one seriously hilarious, intensely intelligent, thoroughly likable guy.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
My friend, Rob, and I were in need of a good belly laugh and where better to get a healthy dose of humor served up with a side of news than at The Colbert Report. During the years of the Bush administration I relied on Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart for much of my news coverage. The actual political news was just too depressing to take in on a daily basis. When watching Comedy Central, I wondered if the Stephen Colbert we’ve all come to know and love is an entirely fictional character. And if his character is manufactured, what’s the real Stephen Colbert like?
