Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Other
First published August 2007

The news about comedy: Young audiences, The Daily Show, and evolving notions of journalism

Lauren FeldmanView all authors and affiliations
Volume 8, Issue 4
https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884907078655

Abstract

Recent survey data suggest that at the same time as young Americans are abandoning traditional news media, they are more likely to identify late-night comedy programs, particularly Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as a destination for learning about election campaigns. In order to explore how journalists are responding to the idea of a comedy program as a news source, this article analyzes discourse about The Daily Show as it appeared in the trade and popular presses between January 1999 and March 2004. Emerging from this analysis is the way in which journalists are using The Daily Show as an occasion to reflect upon the nature of their work and the current state of their profession. For many journalists, The Daily Show has prompted reconsideration of the once rigid distinction between news and entertainment and of the historical conventions used to enforce this distinction.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

Get Access
1.
1 In the 2000 Pew survey, Politically Incorrect was listed in place of The Daily Show; it is thus difficult to discern whether the increase between elections speaks to the relative impact of the latter, or to a more general growth in comedy programs as an information resource. It is worth noting, however, that 13 percent of young people report learning about the campaign from late-night talk shows like Jay Leno and David Letterman — a number that did not increase from 2000 (Pew Research Center, 2004).
2.
2 Note that the Times Center's 1965 data refer to 21—35-year-olds, while the 2002 Pew data refer to 18—29-year-olds.
3.
3 A LexisNexis search of `The Daily Show' OR `Jon Stewart' yielded more than 900 articles from major national and regional newspapers, more than 100 transcripts from ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, and NPR news networks, and approximately 30 popular news magazine articles. Additional articles and transcripts from sources not indexed by LexisNexis were also identified by the author during data collection. By far the greatest number of references to The Daily Show appeared in the newspaper columns of television and entertainment critics. While many of these articles did help to illuminate the journalistic response to The Daily Show and are referenced herein, others were less instructive — merely reporting on Stewart's 2004 contract renewal with Comedy Central or providing reviews of his local stand-up comedy appearances, for example. Discussions of The Daily Show's relevance to journalism were also evident among Op-Ed columnists, political reporters, magazine feature writers, and high-profile broadcast journalists. When referenced in the text, attempts are made to distinguish among these various types of journalists.

References

Barnhurst, K.G. (1998) `Politics in the Fine Meshes: Young Citizens, Power, and Media', Media, Culture & Society 20(2): 201—18.
Google Scholar
Baum, M. (2003) Soft News Goes to War: Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy in the New Media Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Google Scholar
Baumgartner, J. and J.S. Morris (2006) `The Daily Show Effect: Candidate Evaluations, Efficacy, and American Youth', American Politics Research 34(3): 341—67.
Google Scholar
Baym, G. (2005) `Discursive Integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism', Political Communication 22(3): 259—76.
Google Scholar
Berger, A.A. (1993) An Anatomy of Humor. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
Google Scholar
Bloom, E.A. and L.D. Bloom (1979) Satire's Persuasive Voice. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Google Scholar
Booth, W. (1973) `Loathing and Ignorance on the Campaign Trail: 1972', Columbia Journalism Review 12: 10.
Google Scholar
Buckingham, D. (2000) The Making of Citizens. London : Routledge.
Google Scholar
Calavita, M. (2004) `Idealization, Inspiration, Irony: Popular Communication Tastes and Practices in the Individual Political Development of Generation X'ers', Popular Communication 2(3): 129—51.
Google Scholar
Chocano, C. (2004) `Comedy or News? Funny You Should Ask', Los Angeles Times 2 February, (consulted 9 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
CNN.com (2004) `Young America's News Source: Jon Stewart', 2 March, URL (consulted 2 March 2004): http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/02/apontv.stewarts.stature.ap/
Google Scholar
D'Arazien, S. (1973) `Wild Man's View of the Campaign', The Nation 13 August: 120—2.
Google Scholar
Delli Carpini, M.X. and B. Williams (1994) ` ``Fictional'' and ``Non-Fictional'' Television Celebrates Earth Day: Or, Politics is Comedy Plus Pretense', Cultural Studies 8: 74—98.
Google Scholar
Delli Carpini, M.X. and B. Williams (2001) `Let Us Entertain You: Politics in the New Media Environment', in L. Bennett and R. Entman (eds) Mediated Politics: Communication in the Future of Democracy, pp. 160—91. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
Dentith, S. (2000) Parody London: Routledge.
Google Scholar
Douglas, S.J. (2003) `Daily Show Does Bush', The Nation 5 May 276(17): 24.
Google Scholar
Eason, D. (1981) `Telling Stories and Making Sense', Journal of Popular Culture 15(2): 125—9.
Google Scholar
Eason, D. (1986) `On Journalistic Authority: The Janet Cooke Scandal', Critical Studies in Mass Communication 3(4): 429—47.
Google Scholar
Friend, T. (2002) `Is it Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis', The New Yorker 11 February, (consulted 2 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Frus, P. (1994) The Politics and Poetics of Journalistic Narrative: The Timely and the Timeless. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
Gerbner, G. (1973) `Cultural Indicators: The Third Voice', in G. Gerbner, L. Gross and W. Melody (eds) Communications Technology and Social Policy: Understanding the New `Cultural Revolution', pp. 555—73. New York: Wiley.
Google Scholar
Gilbert, C. (2000) `The Authenticity Beat', American Journalism Review (March): 46—9. Glasser, T.L. and J.S. Ettema (1993) `When the Facts Don't Speak for Themselves: A Study of the Use of Irony in Daily Journalism', Critical Studies in Mass Communication 10(4): 322—38.
Google Scholar
Grewal, S. (2003) `Mainstream Satire', Toronto Star 9 December, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Gring-Pemble, L. and M.W. Watson (2003) `The Rhetorical Limits of Satire: An Analysis of James Finn Garner's Politically Correct Bedtime Stories', Quarterly Journal of Speech 89(2): 132—53.
Google Scholar
Hames-Garcia, M.R. (2000) `Dr. Gonzo's Carnival: The Testimonial Satires of Oscar Zeta Acosta', American Literature 72(3): 463—93.
Google Scholar
Hollander, B. (1995) `The New News and the 1992 Presidential Campaign: Perceived vs. Actual Political Knowledge', Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 72(4): 786—98.
Google Scholar
Katz, J. (1993) `The Media's War on Kids', Rolling Stone 25 November: 47—9, 130.
Google Scholar
Leiby, R. (2004) `The Reliable Source', Washington Post 22 January, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Levine, L.W. (1988) Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Google Scholar
McFarland, M. (2000) `Daily Show is Big Winner with its Indecision 2000 ', Seattle Times 15 November, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Mickey, J. (2003) `Not Doing the Job' [Letters to the editor], American Journalism Review June/July: 5.
Google Scholar
Miller, L. (2003) `TV's Boldest News Show', Salon 8 April, URL (consulted 11 January 2004): http://www.salon.com
Google Scholar
Mindich, D. (2005) Tuned Out: Why Americans under 40 Don't Follow the News. New York: Oxford University Press.
Google Scholar
National Annenberg Election Survey (2004) `Daily Show Viewers Knowledgeable about Presidential Campaign, National Annenberg Election Survey Shows', URL (consulted 20 February 2005): http://www.naes04.org
Google Scholar
Nawrocki, T. (2003) `Faking the News', Rolling Stone 26 June: 35—8.
Google Scholar
New York Times (2002) `Irreverence in an Age of Reverence', Critics Choice, a Times Talk Series, 11 January [A talk with Peter Jennings and Jon Stewart, hosted by Julie Salamon].
Google Scholar
Pauly, J. (1988) `Rupert Murdoch and the Demonology of Professional Journalism', in J. Carey (ed.) Media, Myths and Narratives, pp. 246—61. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Google Scholar
Pavlik, J.V. (2005) `Fake News: One Man's Experience on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart', Television Quarterly 36(1): 44—50.
Google Scholar
Peabody Awards (n.d.) URL (consulted 5 April 2004): http://www.peabody.uga.edu/archives
Google Scholar
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2002) `Public's News Habits Little Changed by September 11', 9 June, URL (consulted 26 February 2004): http://people-press.org/reports/
Google Scholar
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2004) `Cable and Internet Loom Large in Fragmented Political News Universe', 11 January, URL (consulted 26 February 2004 ): http://people-press.org/reports/
Google Scholar
Peyser, M. (2003/4) `Who's Next 2004: Red, White & Funny', Newsweek 29 December/ 5 January: 70—7.
Google Scholar
Rich, F. (2003) `Jon Stewart's Perfect Pitch', New York Times 20 April, (consulted 11 January 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Rosenthal, P. (2003a) `The Newsiest Show at 10 Isn't your Late Local News', Chicago Sun-Times 25 April, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Rosenthal, P. (2003b) `Faux News was Good News', Chicago Sun-Times 20 December, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Rutenberg, J. (2000) `News Is the Comedy', 22 November, New York Times, (consulted 23 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Salamon, J. (2000) `In the News Today: Wry Observations and Snide Remarks', New York Times 1 August, (consulted 23 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Schudson, M. (1978) Discovering the News. New York : Basic Books.
Google Scholar
Schudson, M. (1992) Watergate in American Memory: How We Remember, Forget and Reconstruct the Past New York: Basic Books.
Google Scholar
Segal, D. (2002) `The Seriously Funny Jon Stewart: Cable's Daily Show Host Delivers Satire with Substance', Washington Post 2 May, (consulted 26 February 2004): LexisNexis database.
Google Scholar
Shribman, D.M. (2004) `The Political Journalists' Canon', Nieman Reports 58(1): 8—9.
Google Scholar
Siceloff, J. (Producer) (2003) `Bill Moyers Interviews Jon Stewart' [TV series episode], 11 July, NOW with Bill Moyers. New York: WNET. URL (consulted 11 February 2004): http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript_stewart_print.html
Google Scholar
Stewart, J. and R. Love (2003) `The Kids Are All Right: Young People and the News: A Conversation', Columbia Journalism Review, January/February: 27—9.
Google Scholar
Taylor, P. (1992) `Political Coverage in the 1990s: Teaching the Old News New Tricks', in J. Rosen and P. Taylor (eds) The New News v. The Old News: The Press and Politics in the 1990s, pp. 37—69. New York: Twentieth Century Fund Press.
Google Scholar
Thompson, H.S. (1973). Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72. San Francisco, CA: Straight Arrow Books .
Google Scholar
Times Mirror Center (1990) ` The Age of Indifference: A Study of Young Americans and How They View the News', 28 June, URL (consulted 24 February 2004): http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=19900628
Google Scholar
Tuchman, G. (1972) `Objectivity as Strategic Ritual: An Examination of Newsmen's Notions of Objectivity', The American Journal of Sociology 77(4): 660—79.
Google Scholar
Young, D.G. and R. Tisinger (2006) `Dispelling Late-night Myths: News Consumption among Late-night Comedy Viewers and the Predictors of Exposure to Various Late-night shows', Harvard International Journal of Press- Politics 11(3): 113—34.
Google Scholar
Zelizer, B. (1992a) `CNN, the Gulf War, and Journalistic Practice ', Journal of Communication 42(1): 66—81.
Google Scholar
Zelizer, B. (1992b) Covering the Body: The Kennedy Assassination, the Media, and the Shaping of Collective Memory Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Google Scholar

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Volume 8, Issue 4
Pages: 406 - 427
Article first published: August 2007
Issue published: August 2007

Keywords

  1. K E Y W O R D S
  2. critical incident
  3. journalism
  4. late-night comedy
  5. news and entertainment
  6. Stewart
  7. The Daily Show
  8. young audiences

Rights and permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Lauren Feldman
University of Pennsylvania, USA, [email protected]
View all articles by this author

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Journalism.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 1653

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016

Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 0

Crossref: 47

  1. The affective labor of commoning: Street art in illiberal Hungary
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Televised Political Satire and the Democratic Transition in Mexico
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. When students write comedy scripts: humor as an experiential learning ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Populism and Critical Incidents in Journalism: Has Bolsonaro Disrupted...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. Fighting lies with facts or humor: Comparing the effectiveness of sati...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. The “Humoralist” as Journalistic Jammer: Zondag met Luba...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. How Satirical News Impacts Affective Responses, Learning, and Persuasi...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. On dictators and clowns
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Subverting Journalistic Routines: When Political Satire Intervenes to ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Civic stage fright: Motivation and news satire engagement
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. What’s newsworthy about ‘social news’? Characteristics and potential o...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  12. Shattering Populists’ Rhetoric with Satire at Elections Times: The Eff...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  13. Producing Journalistic News Satire: How Nordic Satirists Negotiate a H...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  14. Evaluating the fake news problem at the scale of the information ecosy...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  15. Untouchable, or Merely Untouched? Satirical News Websites and Freedom ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  16. Satiric Magazines as Hybrid Alternative Media in Latin America
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  17. Agenda-Setting With Satire: How Political Satire Increased TTIP’s Sali...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  18. Fake News as a Critical Incident in Journalism
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  19. News as Comedy
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  20. Epistemology in the Era of Fake News
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  21. The accordion is mightier than the sword: analysing the comedy music c...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  22. ‘Checking’ and googling: Stages of news consumption among young adults
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  23. The phenomenology of The Funny: a diagrammatic proposal
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  24. What If ‘Journalism’ Is the Problem?: Entertainment and the ‘De-mediat...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  25. I Love Big Bird
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  26. At Odds: Laughing and Thinking? The Appreciation, Processing, and Pers...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  27. Of big birds and bayonets: hybrid Twitter interactivity in the 2012 Pr...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  28. What Is News? Audiences May Have Their Own Ideas
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  29. When Newsworthy is Not Noteworthy
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  30. Playing With Politics: Online Political Parody, Affinity for Political...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  31. Politik mal anders: Die Politikdarstellung in „Harald Schmidt“ im Kont...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  32. Copyright, Free Speech, and The Public's Right to Know
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  33. The Impudence of Being Earnest: Jon Stewart and the Boundaries of Disc...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  34. Rire et réfléchir ensemble. Le cas de l'émission américaine de satire ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  35. Exploring Relations Between Political Entertainment Media And Traditio...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  36. Australian Journalism Studies after ‘Journalism’: Breaking down the Di...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  37. Watching The Daily Show in Kenya
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  38. From the “Little Aussie Bleeder” to Newstopia ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  39. Perceptions of Bias in Political Content in Late Night Comedy Programs
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  40. Getting Political Science in on the Joke: Using The Dail...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  41. Surviving the ‘mock interview’: challenges to political communicative ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  42. Hard news, soft news, ‘general’ news: The necessity and utility of an ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  43. “Somebody Going to Get Hurt Real Bad”: The Race-based Comedy of Russel...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  44. Laughter and Liability: The Politics of British and Dutch Television S...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  45. What's next for science communication? Promising directions and linger...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  46. Spezialisierung und Entdifferenzierung im Journalismus Eine theoretisc...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  47. Future-proofing journalism: Youthful tastes and the challenge for the ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:

Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Subscribe to this journal

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

Start 2 week free trial
Need help?

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub
Download PDF

Also from Sage