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.
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
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
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