IMNSHO, this man is a patriot and American Hero, and is the best journalist on the air today.
Would you believe the answer is neither?
Julia R. Fox, assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University isn’t joking when she says the popular “fake news” program, which last week featured Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a guest, is just as substantive as network coverage.
While much has been written in the media about The Daily Show’s impact, Fox’s study is the first scholarly effort to systematically examine how the comedy program compares to traditional television news as sources of political information.
The fact that a comedian is the best journalist in America is a sad testament to the quality of our news.
And Jon is almost as liberal, too.
But honestly, this morning on ABC’s Good Morning news program, their idea of news was to have the morning crew sit at a coffee table and sample new flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Is that substantial news reporting? I think not. Jon’s pithy scatological humor has more real news than this bit of “advertising as news” tripe.
A Touch of Irony.
When in 2004, both Presidential Candidates were campaigning in the same State, about twenty miles or less from each other, there were several (I remember two) bank robberies that took place in the same area. (A case of Not So Stupid Crooks – the police would be focusing on the Candidates) I first heard it on TDS, then found it online from several sources.
This is scary
J/P=?
Aye, the haggis in the fire for sure.
Indiana is no liberal state, but most republicans think anyone with an education past high school is liberal.
But I think that she has a point, ya know being a professor and all. I think that the daily show is more credible than the network television, but it would be a longshot to compare the colbert report to network news.
4, That’s why they didn’t. The Colbert Report is a completely different kind of show. He’s also brilliant, though.
1. This headline is inaccurate. It said that The Daily Show is as sunstantive as BROADCAST NETWORK news, but that neither of them – I repeat for the hard of reading, neither of them – were anywhere near in-depth or substantive.
2. It most certainly did not call Jon Stewart the best journalist in America. Now, Smartalix didn’t exactly say the article states that Stewart is “the best journalist in America.” He certainly implies it with the tag at the end.
But hey, why be accurate in summarizing when you can spin and make your own feelings seem like the news. You know, like both the networks and Jon Stewart do on a regular basis.
#1 And Jon is almost as liberal, too.
Comment by Mark T. — 10/5/2006 @ 3:32 pm
It’s easy to assume he’s a liberal since his take on things is often so intelligent and accurate… But I seem to recall that Jon Stewart is actually
— wait for it —
a Republican.
Jon Stewart is not a Republican. Why are you lying?
If you look to the past,
Many comedians have been better news reporters and TRUTH tellers then the news or the polititians.
Even the kings of old had their jesters…
Even Shakspeer, had to Cover his politics with humor in his plays…
They alone are the temperment of Sociaty…The Worse they do, the MORE fun is played of them.
Hard to call him a journalist after his interview with John Kerry. Then he attacks the Crossfire guys as bad journalists.
>republicans think anyone with an education past high school is liberal.
Maybe they think that, but the reality is the opposite. Getting a college degree makes you 11 percent more likely to be Republican.
6,
Malren, I state very clearly that my comment is my opinon. You’re allowed to state your opinion as long as you tell people. If I said without preamble that Stewart was the best, I would be presenting opinion as fact. By saying “In My Not-So-Humble Opinon” (IMNSHO) at the beginning of the sentence I am telling the reader that is how I feel. All are encouraged to put their opinions here as well.
Even yours. I only require you (and others, I’ve killed posts from left-wingers as well) do not insult me or my fellows here, and as an editor here I am able to back it up. I feel the discussions stay on point better if people aren’t slinging insults and death threats around.
So, what don’t you like about John Stewart? I’d be glad to discuss the merits of my opinion vs. yours.
Now, the headline reflects the jist of the article quoted. I said “…Stewart is as good as “real” News…” (emphasis added). Last time I checked that did not mean better.
I also did not feel the need to say what kind of news as obviously we are talking about TV news here. As a print editor in my day job I am very aware that magazines represent the highest form of news ournalism (especially trade publications). (Only slightly joking.)
Stewart has the balls to speak truth to power, and the wit to make it funny.
#7 – But I seem to recall that Jon Stewart is actually
– wait for it —
a Republican.
Err, are we talking about the same Jon Stewart? Of The Daily Show?!?! I think you must be very mistaken. All you have to do is watch how he fawns over the likes of Tim Robbins and skewers the likes of Bill O’Reily. He is so liberal, I had to switch to The Colbert Report, which I find much funnier to boot. Colbert appears to be a true Libertarian, but that is a guess.
If Stewart is a Republican, he deserves an Academy Award. He sure fooled me.
What is life?
A tragic joke.
If I didnt have the comic relief of Stewarts show, to put some of the madness into perspective, I would probably be up in a tower with a high powered rifle and…………………………………..
I keed, I keed. Really, just a joke, Mr. Government eavesdropper guy, just a joke. Phew!
this headline should read Jon as inaccurate and boring as mainstream news oulets…
Stephen Colbert is definitely the man!…
16. Bullshit. Colbert is good, Jon is the Master. Hail to the Master.
I thought it ironic the study’s author has the same name as the worst “news” outlet. Fox.
Alix was that you at wired magazines nextfest 2006?
Yes, I’ve been busy but I’ll have a post up on it soon.
I get all my american video news from Daily Show, Colbert Report and John C Dvorak..
I haven’t watched the show enough to be sure, but I think Colbert is faking being libertarian or conservative.
Colbert is playing a caricature masterfully.
Just because his show may cover more “news” topics does not make him a good journalist… if objectivity is one of the criteria for judging one as such.
24,
In your opinion.
I’ll tell you one thing, Stewart is funnier than Leno and Letterman combined.
Might even eek out a win if Conan was added to that.
he is a patriot and an American hero, but I don’t think he is a journalist. he certainly doesnt think so. whenever the wankers accuse him of “unfairness” (like when he took on Crossfire), he notes that he is a comedian.
the best comedy is social or political criticism, and that is what Stewart does and what he does best (the Simpsons excepted, of course).
Okay, you all do know that John Stewart is not a journalist, but a comedian who gets his material from the news, right?……..Riiiight?
That said, I thoroughy enjoy both the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. I would almost go so far as to say that they are the two best shows in TV. The Daily show is certainly in the top five, and the Report is top ten. I see both of them as driving an interest in the news, which is a good thing. Like Weird Al Yankovic, it’s a hell of a lot more funny if you know the song he’s making fun of.
28. Oh, and the dead giveaway is the fact he is on *ahem* … Comedy Central.
If he was on, say, C-SPAN or CNN, I could understand the confusion. For example, it is a commonly-held belief that there are real journalists on FOX NEWS, because it has ‘news’ in the title. But, in fact, it is just comedy so subtle that it escapes most viewers.
22. “I haven’t watched the show enough to be sure, but I think Colbert is faking being libertarian or conservative.”
Well, that is a possiblity, but he seems to be a devout Catholic. He doesn’t seem to like many of his liberal guests and rails against anybody that demeans Christians. And he appears to be all behind Iraq and Afghanistan.
That’s just my observations. I really don’t think he is a Democrat, by any stretch. And he doesn’t cut Republicans much of a break a lot of the time.
The best interview I saw was when he asked Al Franken “why he hates our troops” multiple times in one interview. Franken got pretty upset but Colbert never faltered.