America's Jester: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is used as a primary news source for a majority of individuals under 35. Jon Stewart, a comedian, is consistently voted most trusted news anchor in American media. How does a comedian affect the American political sphere and invoke change in American society?
America is more divided than any other time since the Civil War, split between left and right, Democrat and Republican, liberal vs. conservative and the corporate media has fueled this chasm… so the question has to be asked: who can the American people trust when the nation is so splintered? Who do the people turn to for news and information when the media has failed?
The answer: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, a ‘fake’ news show parodying real news shows, airing on Comedy Central. Nearly one-third of Americans under the age of 40 say satirical news-oriented television programs like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart are taking the place of traditional news outlets.
How does The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’s influence and affect the media and political sphere? How did the show and host become the most trusted news show on American television? And what is its outlook on the upcoming US Presidential election?
Brian Dunphy, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the University of Amsterdam and The New School for Social Research is a Lecturer in the TV & Radio Department at Brooklyn College, NY. Over the past few years, Brian has developed classes devoted to Politics & Satire as well as the controversial and incredibly popular course, ‘South Park and Political Correctness’.
Interesting links
The Daily Show
New York Times Is Jon Stewart the Most Trusted Man in America?
