Anyone else out there wondering how the star of a fake news show, one that airs on Comedy Central and whose lead-in is, "puppets making crank phone calls," has become a spokesperson for journalistic ethics? In case you've missed the 60 Minutes report last evening, or the buzz in the blogsphere about his appearance on Crossfire, Jon Stewart has taken to lecturing cable news journalists, and anyone else who will listen, about the failings of television news. Not that I’m one to run to the rescue of an industry that has bent over backwards to give itself a spanking (now there’s an ugly word picture), but since when does a news satirist get to suddenly shift gears and become deadly serious about a problem that has been around since Edwin R. Murrow (if you don’t know, look him up).
Besides, I’m not sure that The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is convinced of its own identity. John Edwards announced his candidacy for presidency of the United States on this “fake” news show. And nearly every important political figure, except George W. Bush, has appeared as a guest. In what may be the most alarming factoid, the National Election Annenberg study from the University of Pennsylvania showed that males ages 18 to 34 got their political information from The Daily Show more than from any other news source.
Take a few minutes and watch his performance—yes, it was a performance—on Crossfire last week. The video stream and transcript is available from mediamatters.org and the transcript from CNN.com. Then judge for yourself—is this a serious wake-up call for the major news outlets, a marketing ploy to sell more copies of Stewart’s new book America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction, or just a guy making jokes at the expense of anyone who is willing to give him enough rope?
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3 comments:
Jon Stewart really blurs the lines between "real" and "fake" news, but he's pretty darn entertaining at it! Sure, he's trying to sell his book, and so is attempting to be somewhat provocative in his latest
on-air exploits. This latest situation with "Crossfire" reminds me a bit of the Bill O'Reilly/Al Franken controversary.
But Jon has never claimed to be anything more than a political comedian/commentator, and it seems that "real" politics is starting to rub off on him. This current presidential election is quite polarizing, so Stewart might be feeling some responsibility to attempt to seriously discuss issues, rather than always look for a laugh.
The fact is, I can never tell when he's serious or trying to be funny! I don't think any citizen who wants to be informed should only access one medium or personality for their news. If somebody is only watching Jon Stewart, that person should try to diversify their news viewing with other personalities or broadcast outlets...or heaven forbid...even READ either a print or online newspaper!
Let's not forget that "The Daily Show" won the Peabody Award for its coverage of the 2000 presidential election. These honors seem to be statements made by the "credible journalists" giving the awards that national politics has become a farce and that politica satire might be the most appropriate way to cover the story.
Any regular viewer of The Daily Show knows John Stewart and crew do not take themselves or these awards that seriously. But "The Daily Show" is without a doubt the brightest example of political satire on TV, and its credence in mainstream journalistic circles only underscores the degree to which broadcast journalism has failed.
The entertainment value Stewart provides for his viewers is an obvious contributor to his large audience. It's a fact: People love to laugh. However, hosting a comedic show does not mean he cannot be taken seriously. When given the opportunity to express his true opnions on Crossfire, he took it. It was an arena where he could express his true opinions and, unlike on his own show, have a greater chance of being taken seriously.
As far as not being convinced of his own identity... his willingness to bring in ANYONE and poke fun at EVERYONE is part of the reason guests decide to come on the show in the first place. The show reaches a larger audience that feels a sense of relief from knowing that, even though a more liberal show, they will not be as blatantly "persuaded" one way way or another when they watch. And according to the National Annenberg Election Survey, these viewers are more educated, more interested in the presidential campaign and more liberal than "the average American or than Leno or Letterman viewers." It seems fair to say that John Stewart has simply CREATED his own identity somewhere in the middle, and it has served him well so far.
ANNENBERG STUDY
http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/naes/2004_03_late-night-knowledge-2_9-21_pr.pdf
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