In a separate clip, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer demonstrates an additional example of the lack of substance in news coverage and the poor determinations of what is considered newsworthy: “On June 6, [2007,] Stewart aired clips of Wolf Blitzer preparing for one of the Republican debates. Here, Blitzer took his viewers on a trip of “what you can expect.” He tells the audience how the candidates will enter the stage and that there was water available for them.” It is hard to imagine that any viewer is actually interested in the details mentioned by Blitzer, and this is not so much of a criticism of Blitzer as it is the desire to fill every minute with “news.” More relevant items would be, for instance, potential topics of contention between the various candidates or the effects of potential outcomes of the debate.
Stewart criticizes all three of the major news networks regarding the Duke rape allegations, suggesting that news programs give more consideration to their coverage of more sensitive topics. The Daily Show achieves this through direct commentary, an appropriate use of satire, and by exemplifying its own considerate approach to the subject.
In addition to how the news networks present the news, it is crucial to know who presents the news, or more importantly, who is commentating on the news and injecting opinions into the discussion:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Who The F@#k Is That Guy - Political Experts
First of all, building off of the subject of the amount of filler material needed for the 24-hour news cycle to function, the video montage of all the different political analysts that the major networks acquire demonstrates the extraordinary number of people who comment on politics required for each of the media organizations. The crux of the segment implies that the majority of those who discuss political strategies or issues on the air are not qualified to make judgments that can pass as expert testimony.
One of the powers of the major news networks is that they can publicly legitimize or delegitimize a person, topic, or point of view. Because of this power, Stewart suggests that the networks should be more selective about whom they have on their shows, and, in turn, claim as experts: “You can trust these folks, because the news networks carefully vet each and every one of their expert analysts – whether they be this guy, who worked for Fred Thompson’s failed presidential campaign, or this guy, who helped Howard Dean lose, or these failed strategists from the Edwards, Romney, and Huckabee campaigns.” As a result, it is essential to consider both experience and context. In the aforementioned quote, all of the analysts were offering their advice as to how the candidates still in the running for president should operate, even though their prior advice did not allow their own candidate to succeed. Though this may not be entirely fair to the particular strategists, as they may often be successful strategists, presenting these failed strategists as experts is simply inaccurate, especially when the campaign they are offering advice about clearly surpassed their own campaign strategy.
The broader question, though, is whether you can trust those whom the media portray as experts. Stewart suggests that one should be skeptical of “experts” and that the news networks should do their best to maintain quality over quantity. As demonstrated by the “crazy person” testimony, odd commentary and false statements, when portrayed as legitimate ideas from a seemingly reliable source, may mislead and misinform people, diminishing the quality of public discourse.
Jon Stewart regularly criticizes the cable news networks. In addition to the more broad media critique that Stewart offers, as mentioned in the previous sections, the individual networks themselves become victims of The Daily Show’s satirical commentary and often more serious criticism. The three major networks – CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News – are all featured from time to time on The Daily Show. Any regular viewer of The Daily Show will be the first to admit that the criticism is not equal in any way, Fox News being given the most “attention.” This disparity is not because of the liberal slant of Stewart’s program, but more so because of the absurdity of the content on Fox News, as will be demonstrated later.
Despite having a liberal slant, The Daily Show does not exempt CNN and MSNBC from criticism. CNN, a relatively moderate though left-leaning news organization, has taken much heat from Stewart both in the past and present. The Daily Show often criticizes CNN for its excessive use of technology and the lack of substantive improvement that accompanies it. Referring to CNN’s over-the-top electronic displays and unnecessary incorporation of Twitter comments into the analysis of President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union speech, Stewart mocks, “I’ve never seen a situation where more information helped me understand less.” Stewart received national attention in 2004 for his harsh criticism of CNN’s program Crossfire while being interviewed live on the show itself. The Crossfire incident will be discussed in much more context and detail later on in the paper. The Crossfire critique and other examples of focused analysis of CNN strongly affirm that Stewart is more interested in reforming the media than promoting a particular political agenda.
The following video is the epitome of criticism of CNN offered by The Daily Show:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: CNN Leaves It There
This video clip illustrates the interaction that the media, in this case CNN, have with congressional representatives, political correspondents, and other political figures. In order to gain information to report on, the media must interview people, however, blindly accepting the ‘facts’ that one has been given is not even close to sufficient. In CNN’s case, its anchors not only accepted the information without challenging ridiculous and extreme statements but also cut off debate before there had been any opportunity to counter or resolve the discussion, often in a haphazard fashion. Stewart initially mocks CNN for fact-checking a Saturday Night Live sketch, commenting on both the ridiculousness of it and the waste of valuable time. Stewart then continues more generally, albeit sarcastically: “Fact checking is the function of news. That is the public service they provide. It’s one of the reasons why the health care debate has been so fruitful.” Although recognizing the crucial function the media have investigating details, Stewart insinuates that there has been a lack of fact-checking in the health care debate, which, as Stewart indicates, is more important to public debate and politics than a late-night comedy sketch. In instances of actual questionable material, as demonstrated with Senators Jon Kyl and Orrin Hatch, CNN did not dispute the numbers or statements, and The Daily Show blatantly calls out CNN. When the Congressional Budget Office’s report on Kyl’s exact claims was released, CNN did not repudiate Kyl’s greatly exaggerated numbers.
In addition, responding to Tony Perkins’ statistical irregularities about uninsured Americans, Stewart mocks as follows:
“First things first, according to the New York Times, America now has 307 million people, not 330 million people. So you are only off by a factor of – Australia. Second, with that explanation, he went from 30 million uninsured, down to, you know, the hard-core number - 5 or 10 million. Well, that’s pretty close, 5 or 10, it’s only double. You know it’s interesting because I weigh between 150 and 300 pounds. Now that’s normal for a man who’s 6 to 12 feet tall.”
Again, though, CNN anchor Tony Harris fails to address the discrepancy in numbers, and in this case, Perkins’ argument is based almost exclusively on the numbers.Continued on Next Page »
1.) Baym, Geoffrey. “The Daily Show: Discursive Integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism.” Political Communication. 2005. 22: 3, 259-276.
Brewer, Paul R. and Emily Marquardt. “Mock News and Democracy: Analyzing The Daily Show.” Atlantic Journal of Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 2007. 15:4, 249-267.
4.) “Remembering Anna.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. February 12, 2007. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-12-2007/remembering-anna>.
5.) “Shut Up Mark Sanford.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. July 12, 2009. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-july-2-2009/shut-up--mark-sanford>.
6.) “The Wedding of the Century of the Millennium.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. August 2, 2010. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-2-2010/wedding-of-the-decade-of-the-century-of-the-millennium >.
“Headlines Duke Lacrosse Rape Allegations.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. April 18, 2006. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-18-2006/headlines---duke-lacrosse-rape-allegations>.
9.) “Headlines Duke Lacrosse Rape Allegations.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. April 18, 2006. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-18-2006/headlines---duke-lacrosse-rape-allegations>.
10.) “Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs? ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’ Examined.” Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. N.p., May 8, 2008. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.journalism.org/node/10953>.
11.) Who the f@#k is that guy? – Political Experts.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 22, 2008. Web. October 28, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-22-2008/who-the-f--k-is-that-guy----political-experts>.
13.) “Hi Tech News Coverage.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 9, 2008. Web. October 28, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-9-2008/hi-tech-news-coverage>.
14.) “Speech Therapy.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 28, 2010. Web. November 4, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-28-2010/speech-therapy---post-racial>.
15.) “CNN Leaves It There.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 12, 2009. Web. November 1, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-12-2009/cnn-leaves-it-there>.
17.) “CNN Leaves It There.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 12, 2009. Web. November 1, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-12-2009/cnn-leaves-it-there>.
18.) “MSNBC Left Behind.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 11, 2010. Web. November 3, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-11-2010/msnbc-left-behind>.
19.) “Keith Olbermann’s Name Calling.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 21, 2010. Web. November 4, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-21-2010/special-comment---keith-olbermann-s-name-calling>.
20.) “Speech Therapy.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 28, 2010. Web. November 4, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-28-2010/speech-therapy---post-racial>.
21.) “Fox News.Com.” Fox News Network, LLC. November 4, 2010. 2010. <http://www.foxnews.com/>.
22.) “For Fox Sake.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 29, 2009. Web. November 4, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-29-2009/for-fox-sake->.
24.) “Anchor Management.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 3, 2010. Web. November 4, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-march-3-2010/anchor-management>.
“Gretchen Carlson Dumbs Down.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 8, 2009. Web. November 6, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-december-8-2009/gretchen-carlson-dumbs-down>.
“Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck’s Protest Footage.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. November 10, 2009. Web. November 6, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-november-10-2009/sean-hannity-uses-glenn-beck-s-protest-footage>.
33.) “Sean Hannity Apologizes to Jon.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. November 12, 2009. Web. July 16, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-november-12-2009/sean-hannity-apologizes-to-jon>.
34.) “Are You Ready For Some Midterms? – MSNBC’s Political Narrative.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. September 9, 2010. Web. November 6, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-9-2010/are-you-ready-for-some-midterms----msnbc-s-political-narrative>.
35.) “Kurtz criticizes Hannity's "careful editing" of Obama speech: "Isn't that kind of editing, what's the word, deceptive?" Media Matters For America. September 12, 2010. Web. November 6, 2010. >.
36.) “Bernie Goldberg Fires Back.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. April 20, 2010. Web. November 6, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-20-2010/bernie-goldberg-fires-back>.
37.) “Top TV Feuds: Jon Stewart vs. Crossfire.” TIME. Time.com. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884499_1884515_1884462,00.html>.
Gollmitzer, Mirjam. "Towards a Media Incidents Theory: How "Adversarial Guests" Ruin Programs and Liberate the Audience."Conference Papers -- International Communication Association(2009): 1-20. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
44.) Douthat, Ross. “Can CNN Be Saved?” The New York Times. April 4, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/opinion/05douthat.html>.
Snow, Nancy. “Jon Stewart: Still the Most Trusted Newscaster in America.” The Huffington Post. July 23, 2009. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-snow/jon-stewart-still-the-mos_b_243646.html>.
47.) Gollmitzer, Mirjam. "Towards a Media Incidents Theory: How "Adversarial Guests" Ruin Programs and Liberate the Audience."Conference Papers -- International Communication Association(2009): 1-20.Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
“CNBC Financial Advice.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 4, 2009. Web. November 20, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-march-4-2009/cnbc-financial-advice>.
52.) Cramer, Jim. “Cramer Takes on White House, Frank Rich, and Jon Stewart.” The Street. MainStreet.com. March 10, 2009. <http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/news/cramer-takes-white-house-frank-rich-and-jon-stewart?page=4>.
“In Cramer We Trust.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 9, 2009. Web. November 20, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-march-9-2009/in-cramer-we-trust>.
“Basic Cable Personality Clash Skirmish.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 10, 2009. Web. November 20, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-10-2009/basic-cable-personality-clash-skirmish--09>.
“Jim Cramer Extended Interview Pt. 1.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 12, 2009. Web. November 21, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-12-2009/jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--1>.
“Jim Cramer Extended Interview Pt. 2.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 12, 2009. Web. November 21, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-12-2009/jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--2>.
“Jim Cramer Extended Interview Pt. 3.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 12, 2009. Web. November 21, 2010. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-12-2009/jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--3>.
64.) Snow, Nancy. “Jon Stewart: Still the Most Trusted Newscaster in America.” The Huffington Post. July 23, 2009. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-snow/jon-stewart-still-the-mos_b_243646.html>.
65.) France, Lisa Respers. “Stewart seen as winner in Showdown with Cramer.” March 19, 2009. CNN.com. 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/13/cramer.stewart.reaction/index.html?iref=allsearch>.
66.) Carlson, Tucker. “How Jon Stewart Went Bad.” The Daily Beast: Blogs & Stories. March 18, 2009. RTST, Inc. 2010. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-18/how-jon-stewart-went-bad/>.
67.) Fisher, Luchina. “Jon Stewart Wins Cramer Showdown.” March 13, 2009. ABC News Internet Ventures. 2010. <http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=7075368&page=1>.
68.) Cohen, Richard. “Don’t Blame Jim Cramer.” The Washington Post. March 17, 2009. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602319.html>.
France, Lisa Respers. “Stewart seen as winner in Showdown with Cramer.” March 19, 2009. CNN.com. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/13/cramer.stewart.reaction/index.html?iref=allsearch>.
“Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs? ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’ Examined.” Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. N.p., May 8, 2008. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.journalism.org/node/10953>.
72.) “Mike Huckabee Pt.2.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 9, 2008. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-december-9-2008/mike-huckabee-pt--2>.
“Newt Gingrich.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. February 9, 2010. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-9-2010/newt-gingrich>.
“Exclusive John Yoo Extended Interview Pt.1.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 11, 2010. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-11-2010/exclusive---john-yoo-extended-interview-pt--1>.
77.) “Exclusive Marc Thiessen Extended Interview Pt.1.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. March 9, 2010. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-9-2010/exclusive---marc-thiessen-extended-interview-pt--1>.
78.) Douthat, Ross. “Can CNN Be Saved?” The New York Times. April 4, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/opinion/05douthat.html>.
79.) “Exclusive John Yoo Extended Interview Pt.3.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 11, 2010. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-11-2010/exclusive---john-yoo-extended-interview-pt--3>.
80.) “Barack Obama Pt.1.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. October 27, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-27-2010/barack-obama-pt--1>.
81.) “Eye to Eye: Obama on Stewart (CBS News).” CBS News. YouTube. August 23, 2007. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3nQPJfgPo&feature=fvw>.
“Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs? ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’ Examined.” Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. N.p., May 8, 2008. Web. October 26, 2010. <http://www.journalism.org/node/10953>.
84.) Douthat, Ross. “Can CNN Be Saved?” The New York Times. April 4, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/opinion/05douthat.html>.
85.) Baym, Geoffrey. “The Daily Show: Discursive Integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism.” Political Communication. 2005. 22: 3, 259-276.
86.) “So You Think You Can Douche.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. July 29, 2009. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-29-2009/so-you-think-you-can-douche>.
87.) “Sarah Palin Gender Card.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. September 3, 2008. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-3-2008/sarah-palin-gender-card>.
88.) “Sarah Palin Gender Card.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. September 3, 2008. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-3-2008/sarah-palin-gender-card>.
89.) “Postcards From the Pledge.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. September 23, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-23-2010/postcards-from-the-pledge>.
90.) “Postcards From the Pledge.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. September 23, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-23-2010/postcards-from-the-pledge>.
“Moral Kombat.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. May 14, 2009. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-may-14-2009/moral-kombat>.
93.) Shear, Michael. “From Jon Stewart, Echoes of G.O.P. Past.” The New York Times. September 24, 2010. <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/from-jon-stewart-echoes-of-g-o-p-past/?scp=1&sq=jon%20stewart%20postcards%20from%20the%20pledge&st=cse>.
94.) Gore, Al. The Assault on Reason. Penguin Books. New York, NY. 2007. 111.
95.) “I Give Up – 9/11 Responders.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. August 4, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-4-2010/i-give-up---9-11-responders-bill>.
96.) “Republicans Block 9/11 Health Care Bill.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 9, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-december-9-2010/republicans-block-9-11-health-care-bill>.
97.) “Worst Responders.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 16, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-december-16-2010/worst-responders>.
98.) “9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 16, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-december-16-2010/9-11-first-responders-react-to-the-senate-filibuster>.
99.) “Exclusive – Mike Huckabee Extended Interview.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. December 16, 2010. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-december-16-2010/exclusive---mike-huckabee-extended-interview>.
100.) Newton-Small, Jay. “Did Jon Stewart Turn the Tide on the 911 First Responders Bill?” TIME: Swampland. December 20, 2010. Time, Inc. 2011. <http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/12/20/did-jon-stewart-turn-the-tide-on-the-911-first-responders-bill/>.
101.) “New Hope for 9/11 Heroes.” FOX NEWS. Fox News Network, LLC. December 20, 2010. <http://video.foxnews.com/v/4469087/new-hope-for-911-heroes>.
102.) Hernandez, Raymond. “Senate Passes 9/11 Health Bill as Republicans Back Down.” The New York Times. December 22, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/nyregion/23health.html?_r=1>.
103.) Madison, Lucy. “White House Lauds Jon Stewart for Pushing Passage of 9/11 Health Bill.” CBS News.com. Political Hotsheet. December 21, 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20026333-503544.html>.
Carter, Bill and Brian Stelter. “In ‘Daily Show’ Role on 9/11 Bill, Echoes of Murrow.” The New York Times. December 26, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/business/media/27stewart.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1>.
“Kirsten Gillibrand.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Comedy Central. January 4, 2011. Web. April 30, 2011. <http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-4-2011/kirsten-gillibrand>.
Baym, Geoffrey. “The Daily Show: Discursive Integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism.” Political Communication. 2005. 22: 3, 259-276.
110.) Stelter, Brian. “In Visit to Fox News, Jon Stewart Faults Fox News.” The New York Times. February 5, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/arts/television/06fox.html?scp=2&sq=jon%20stewart&st=cse>.
111.) “Entire Jon Stewart Interview.” FOX NEWS. Fox News Network, LLC. February 4, 2010. <http://video.foxnews.com/v/4003531/entire-jon-stewart-interview/>.
