For more than a decade news outlets have reported on people around the country using "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central as their primary news source. While it may seem absurd on the surface, the show has been able to inform it viewer while still mocking other media outlets and politicians alike.
A 2007 study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press indicates that six percent of people under 30-years-old admired "Daily Show" host John Stewart as the journalist whom they admired most, beating out all others besides Bill O'Reilly. It is important to note that people over 30-years-old in the survey were far less enamored with Stewart, which suggests an age gap in how people approach how they receive information about current events.
While it may seem somewhat questionable to use a show that is written as a satire of public figures as a legitimate news source, a 2009 article posted on the Poynter Institute's website suggests that the producers and writers of the program put more into each show that is broadcast than simply writing a few jokes that may not necessarily be based in fact and calling a day. The writers and producers of the show are constantly searching around the major news outlets to find things that contradict themselves or are questionable. However, the show is often not taken seriously because of the station it is broadcast on and that some of the show’s content lacks seriousness. In addition the means that the sow informs its viewers differs greatly from the norm of other news programs.
Given that the show takes a very satirical approach does not mean that it is entirely devoid of content. Thus, while it may seem foolish on the surface, people who watch Jon Stewart’s show are better informed than it would seem. However, it would be prudent to consume other sources of news in order to ensure that audience members are getting a more well rounded view of what is going on in the media.
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