Accuracy of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report

[earth_as_one]

I am well aware that "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are comedy programs consisting mostly of political satire. These comedy shows don't claim to be the News. They claim to be entertaining. So they are honest in that regard.

On the other hand, the Cable News claims to be accurate. But how accurate is Cable News?

A study by PIPA regarding the Iraq war found that the more people relied on cable news for information, the more likely they were to have misperceptions regarding Iraq's possession of WMDs, links to al Qaeda and world opinion regarding US actions against Iraq:

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/102.php?nid=

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/oct03/IraqMedia_Oct03_rpt.pdf

The numbers above prove that if you want to be accurately informed, you shouldn't take Cable News seriously. You should consider it to be manipulative infotainment, not accurate sources of information.

I suspect that if the above research study asked viewers of the Daily Show the same questions, they would have results similar to PBS/NPR. (Relatively well informed)

Another study found that the amount of substantive news content in the Daily Show is about equal to traditional broadcast newscasts and they would be just as qualified to claim to be a legitimate news source.

It's no joke: IU study finds The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to be as substantive as network news

It's no joke: IU study finds The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to be as substantive as network news: IU News Room: Indiana University

Comedy programs like Daily Show and the Colbert Report, provide a valuable public service missing from Cable News. Using a satirical format, they point out obvious contradictions, gaps in credibility and deliberate news media manipulations.

Cable News often tries to persuade, rather than inform and as a result is deliberately manipulative.

"The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" try to entertain, but in order to get the humor you have to be informed and as a result, these programs make you think.

IMO People who watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are more accurately informed, less manipulated and better able to think for themselves. Which is probably why Americans rated Jon Stewart the host of "The Daily Show" the fourth most admired journalist!

Pew Research Center: The Daily Show: Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs?


Links to "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report"

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Official Website | Current Events & Pop Culture News, Comedy & Fake News | Comedy Central

Colbertnation | The Colbert Report Official Site | Comedy Central

 

[Scott Free]

If you want to be more accurately informed, less manipulated and better able to think for yourself then throw out your TV. Watching clowns might help a little but for the best results I recommend not watching it altogether.

 

[earth_as_one]

I would agree. I watch the CBC and the local news to find out what's important. But if I want the detailed accurate information, I research it for myself on the net.

I usually start with google news. I consider Haaretz, al Jazeera, Xinhua, the Guardian, BBC.... whatever pops up and appears relevant. I find most American news to be consistently the least accurate and most manipulative, with a few exceptions. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the New Yorker can be very informative depending on the subject.

I also record the Daily Show and the Colbert report. I consider them to also be valuable and entertaining sources of information.

 

[Avro]

Both shows expose what cons really are.....a joke.

 

[Zzarchov]

To be fair, thats US news.

Canada is not the USA, and there are substantive differences between our two countries in many ways, this is not the least of them.

Besides, we have our own longer established and more credible fake news

And yes, I do watch both shows consistently.

 

[dancing-loon]

I would agree. I watch the CBC and the local news to find out what's important. But if I want the detailed accurate information, I research it for myself on the net.

I usually start with google news. I consider Haaretz, al Jazeera, Xinhua, the Guardian, BBC.... whatever pops up and appears relevant. I find most American news to be consistently the least accurate and most manipulative, with a few exceptions. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the New Yorker can be very informative depending on the subject.

I also record the Daily Show and the Colbert report. I consider them to also be valuable and entertaining sources of information.

Could there be a connection as to who or which group owns the paper or station and their political affiliation? I have wondered WHY someone would like to own and control a whole string of newspapers... is it for the profit or for the ability to manipulate the public according to their political affiliation?

The New York Times for instance owns all these other newspapers as well as on-line outlets:
List of assets owned by The New York Times Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Washington Post owns also a string of other media firms and has an even bigger revenue than NYT.
The Washington Post Company - Our Company

And this guy owns e v e r y t h i n g !!!!! A must read!!!
Who is Rupert Murdoch?

<In 2003, Rupert Murdoch told a congressional panel that his use of "political influence in our newspapers or television" is "nonsense." But a close look at the record shows Murdoch has imparted his far-right agenda throughout his media empire.>

 

[Cannuck]

"....22% that weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq, and 25% that world public opinion favored the US going to war with Iraq. Overall 60% had at least one of these three misperceptions."

WMDs have been found in Iraq.

All news is slanted. I have more of a problem with CBC which pretends it is not slanted than I do with those that admit to it. I listen occasionally to Dave Rutherford in Calgary. The guys right-wing bias is hilarious but at least he is up front about it.

 

[earth_as_one]

All news is biased. That's why the Daily Show and The Colbert Report are important. Through humor/satire, they make people think.

 

[Tyr]

One only has to watch and the painful rantings of FOX to reallize that televison journalism is on a par with dark comedy

 

[Cannuck]

But at least Faux's bias is obvious. CBC's is subtle.

 

[Tyr]

But at least Faux's bias is obvious. CBC's is subtle.

It's bias is obvious to everyone except FOX. The profess to be the only news media "that gets the facts straight" - hence the comedic reference

 

[earth_as_one]

On The Daily Show's January 5 "Strip Maul" segment, Jon Stewart did what few American television personalities have dared to do: he criticized Israel's campaign against Gaza, making it clear that bombing will not bring peace for Israelis or Palestinians. He mocked the one-sided response of U.S. politicians by calling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the "Mobius strip of issues because there's only one side!" He's sure to get thousands of complaints, so send Jon a letter of appreciation and then ask all your friends to watch this segment:

Thank You Jon Stewart

 

[Zzarchov]

On The Daily Show's January 5 "Strip Maul" segment, Jon Stewart did what few American television personalities have dared to do: he criticized Israel's campaign against Gaza, making it clear that bombing will not bring peace for Israelis or Palestinians. He mocked the one-sided response of U.S. politicians by calling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the "Mobius strip of issues because there's only one side!" He's sure to get thousands of complaints, so send Jon a letter of appreciation and then ask all your friends to watch this segment:

Thank You Jon Stewart

Are you an American? You do realise in most parts of the world, it is hard to find any television personality willing to critisize Hamas.

Thats Britain, Canada (on most stations), most of Europe. I can't believe you honestly think Jon Stewart will get "Thousands of Complaints"

He is always anti-Israeli, he makes that very clear on many episodes and is very open and honest about it. You apparently never watched his 2006 coverage of the war in Lebannon or the begining of the Embargo nor half of his interviews with experts on the subject.

Im wondering if you are being ironic or not. Do you really ingest so little media that this is your honest view of how it is?

Do you only watch FOX News and CNN or something?

 

[Scott Free]

All news is slanted.

All news is biased.

Propaganda and agenda driven narrative is slanted and biased.

Facts are facts and fact is what news really means. If you can confirm the fact without the hyperbole then you have real news. If you can do this for both sides of a story then you have balanced news.

If something happens it is news. What do you want to hear? Well you want to hear the facts: what happened and where. The trouble starts with the "why."

I don't understand why people want to know the "why!" The why is almost always impossible to know; why is opinion if it cannot be shown, and why cannot ever be shown if all the facts are shown too!

Making a case isn't the why either but opinion and propaganda.

News has been absconded by a new persuasive definition and as a result, the word "news" is hardly worth anything. It means a "case of why," and frankly I could care less what CNN, FOX, CBC, or anyone else thinks the reason for anything is - I just want the facts - I'll decide the why!!!

News has turned into what it is since the owners of the stations realized it is easier and cheaper to tell us what the cause of things is than to collect the facts. Fact collecting requires reporters, the new news only requires some fact (easily gotten from AP) and a loudmouthed lout to spew an opinion. That is not news!!!

Throw out your TV.

 

[Tyr]

I refuse to watch the news on TV and more. I just shake some old chicken bones in a recycled margarine container and get a 96% accurate read on things

 

[Cannuck]

...Jon Stewart did what few American television personalities have dared to do: he criticized Israel's campaign against Gaza....

That's funny!

 

[GreenFish66]

All have and are welcome to their views...The truth is but a valuable nugget in a bunch data smog and animal puckies..lol

WOOooo WHoooooooo!...Stephen Colbert rules.....Let's give a big standing O ..to Colbert for a fantastic and entertaining show!

 

[Cannuck]

WOOooo WHoooooooo!...Stephen Colbert rules.....Let's give a big standing O ..to Colbert for a fantastic and entertaining show!

It's one of the only shows on TV with truthiness.



Truthiness is a registered trademark of Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Report and is only to be used with the expressed written consent of Stephen Colbert or agent operating on his behalf.