Full Version: The Daily Show is as substantive as the "real" news
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The Daily Show is much funnier than traditional newscasts, but a new study from Indiana University says it has the same amount of meat on its bones when it comes to coverage of the news. The brand of news coverage Jon Stewart and the rest of The Daily Show's staff brings to the airwaves is just as substantive as traditional news programs like World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News, according to the study conducted by IU assistant professor of telecommunications Julia R. Fox and a couple of graduate students.
Read the article here.
Another article on CNN states:
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'Daily Show' viewers ace political quiz
Survey reveals late-night TV viewers better informed
On top of that, "Daily Show" viewers know more about election issues than people who regularly read newspapers or watch television news, according to the National Annenberg Election Survey.
here
To start we need your background...
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
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1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
Every single day, including the re-run if I get the chance. The Daily Show is the greatest new source on television today, period.
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2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
No, it's not on par with the evening news, it's better. Because significant world figures are comfortable on it, they tend to be more honest and relaxed, it's a beautiful thing. I wouldn't expect that from ABC, CBS or any of the news networks ever.QUOTE
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
It's a case of the Daily Show being informative and the mainstream media doing a horrific job. The fact is, people trust Jon Stewart to be unbiased, he goes after the government, period...And that's what the media is there to do! They're the gov't watchdog, and that's exactly what Jon Stewart does, he is government watchdog personified. Another Jersey guy who's done his state proud.QUOTE
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
1.The Daily Show
2.America's Debate
3.Google News
If you were looking for mainstream media
1.Jay Severin [libertarian Boston talk show host]
Um...
Hold on...
Uh...
CP
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
I don’t count actually, I would say close to a dozen times a month easy, though at times it seems like forever since I last viewed an episode so I really cant say. I like the Colbert report a lot also.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
I really don’t know how to respond to this. I think more or less its news but it does not play pretend as much as regular news does
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Its comedy(maybe parody?) overall, just using news as most people understand it as the main source or media for such.
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
I don’t really just use anything in some typical day in day out format like that. For example, I use the internet and I do searches on say a "news" topic and basically just read until i feel content from a robust amount of sources.
I don’t count actually, I would say close to a dozen times a month easy, though at times it seems like forever since I last viewed an episode so I really cant say. I like the Colbert report a lot also.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
I really don’t know how to respond to this. I think more or less its news but it does not play pretend as much as regular news does
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Its comedy(maybe parody?) overall, just using news as most people understand it as the main source or media for such.
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
I don’t really just use anything in some typical day in day out format like that. For example, I use the internet and I do searches on say a "news" topic and basically just read until i feel content from a robust amount of sources.
1. Never.
2. I don't really know, of course, but this study does not surprise me at all. The Daily Show has the reputation (as far as I have heard) of being "smart" comedy. This requires a certain amount of research on the part of its writers.
3. I would say that it shows that both The Daily Show and other television news shows (I'm sorry, but I loathe the term "mainstream media") do a fair-to-middling job of reporting the facts. You don't go to TV to get in-depth reports, in general, but to get a quick and superficial survey of the basic situation. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it is done with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
4. The local newspaper is my main source of news. The Chattanooga Times Free Press, like so many newspapers in this electronic age, is the result of a merger between two newspapers. In this case, it was between a "liberal" newspaper and a "conservative" newspaper. (From my point of view, it was between a "moderate" newspaper and a "far right wing" newspaper, but let's set that aside for now.) For this reason, it still has two editorial pages. This allows me to see both sides of the issues. The fact that I almost always agree with the "left" side of the newspaper and disagree with the "right" side of the newspaper is incidental. I like being able to read editorials from nationally syndicated columnists from both sides.
Other than that, I sometimes look at the news articles from msn.com when I am on the computer at work, and I sometimes listen to the BBC on the car radio. (That may be more because I adore the accent than anything else.)
2. I don't really know, of course, but this study does not surprise me at all. The Daily Show has the reputation (as far as I have heard) of being "smart" comedy. This requires a certain amount of research on the part of its writers.
3. I would say that it shows that both The Daily Show and other television news shows (I'm sorry, but I loathe the term "mainstream media") do a fair-to-middling job of reporting the facts. You don't go to TV to get in-depth reports, in general, but to get a quick and superficial survey of the basic situation. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it is done with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
4. The local newspaper is my main source of news. The Chattanooga Times Free Press, like so many newspapers in this electronic age, is the result of a merger between two newspapers. In this case, it was between a "liberal" newspaper and a "conservative" newspaper. (From my point of view, it was between a "moderate" newspaper and a "far right wing" newspaper, but let's set that aside for now.) For this reason, it still has two editorial pages. This allows me to see both sides of the issues. The fact that I almost always agree with the "left" side of the newspaper and disagree with the "right" side of the newspaper is incidental. I like being able to read editorials from nationally syndicated columnists from both sides.
Other than that, I sometimes look at the news articles from msn.com when I am on the computer at work, and I sometimes listen to the BBC on the car radio. (That may be more because I adore the accent than anything else.)
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
1. Quite regularly along with the Cobert Report and Real Time with Bill Maher
2. I would agree with that because all three shows have to do research of the latest news stories each day and keep up with them just like everyone else then find away to report them and make them entertaining. Both John Stewart and Bill Maher have said in the past that their audience need to know about the news topics to understand the topics, because during the show they aren't going to go into them like a regular news show does, and even sometimes with comic slant put a misdirection on the topic so if the audience doesn't know about the topic they won't get the joke at all.
3. I would say its people are getting tired of either side of the aisle only being represented on the MSM shows and still not being accurately reported.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
1. Quite regularly along with the Cobert Report and Real Time with Bill Maher
2. I would agree with that because all three shows have to do research of the latest news stories each day and keep up with them just like everyone else then find away to report them and make them entertaining. Both John Stewart and Bill Maher have said in the past that their audience need to know about the news topics to understand the topics, because during the show they aren't going to go into them like a regular news show does, and even sometimes with comic slant put a misdirection on the topic so if the audience doesn't know about the topic they won't get the joke at all.
3. I would say its people are getting tired of either side of the aisle only being represented on the MSM shows and still not being accurately reported.
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show?
I only watch it on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news?
Absolutely. Their stories are always better researched that the mainstream news and Stewart's interviews are more incisive than those on the networks or cable by an order of magnitude. Only Stephen Colbert comes close.
Is it on par with the evening news?
I have to agree with ConservPat: it is better - far better.
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV?
That it sucks.
Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Both network and cable TV news are appallingly bad - shallow, biased, misinformed, biased, poorly edited, poorly written, poorly delivered, biased - and did I mention biased? The Daily Show is also occasionally misinformed and somewhat biased - but at least its bias is obvious and unabashed. It's not always factual, but it is consistently honest.
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
Online, I'd say Unclaimed Territory, The Huffington Post, and Town Hall for opinion and columns. There'd be others for gateway-type links to articles (such as Smirking Chimp, The Drudge Report, and Buzzflash), but I'm limited to three.
I will throw in the two best print sources for political information, though: The Nation and The American Conservative - and The New York Review of Books is excellent for broader, more indepth columns on a variety of political and historical issues). Okay, I don't think I can get any more mileage out of three sources. 
I only watch it on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news?
Absolutely. Their stories are always better researched that the mainstream news and Stewart's interviews are more incisive than those on the networks or cable by an order of magnitude. Only Stephen Colbert comes close.
Is it on par with the evening news?
I have to agree with ConservPat: it is better - far better.
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV?
That it sucks.
Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Both network and cable TV news are appallingly bad - shallow, biased, misinformed, biased, poorly edited, poorly written, poorly delivered, biased - and did I mention biased? The Daily Show is also occasionally misinformed and somewhat biased - but at least its bias is obvious and unabashed. It's not always factual, but it is consistently honest.
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
Online, I'd say Unclaimed Territory, The Huffington Post, and Town Hall for opinion and columns. There'd be others for gateway-type links to articles (such as Smirking Chimp, The Drudge Report, and Buzzflash), but I'm limited to three.
I will throw in the two best print sources for political information, though: The Nation and The American Conservative - and The New York Review of Books is excellent for broader, more indepth columns on a variety of political and historical issues). Okay, I don't think I can get any more mileage out of three sources. I'm surprised by some of the responses so far. I was expecting Daily Show to be slammed.
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
I watch it probably once a week but I used to watch it all the time.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
I agree that it is a substantive source of news. I don't think that they cover the breadth of the evening news but they do a much better job of going in depth. They also aren't afraid to call politicians out on the issues and not walk the party line (which ever it may be). Whether you agree with them or not, at least they take a stand.
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
I would agree that it sucks. I just don't think you can cover a complex topic like international politics in 30 minutes.
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
I also frequent Juan Cole and I enjoy reading the "Quarterly" and scholarly journals. I also recommend Google's scholar search rather than the normal one.
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
As often as I can. It was the first show I set up on my DVR, so I only miss it when I'm out of town for a while, and there's just too many episodes to get caught up on. But with DVR, I can watch the whole thing in about 15 minutes when I skip all the commercials.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
Well, that's an awfully low standard to live up to.
Given the preference for hype over substance on the evening news, one might rather wonder if it is on par with the Daily Show. That aside, I think that comedians need to have good grasp of the import of daily events in order to poke fun at them. Good comedy always provides insight that would be missed otherwise. Certainly, politics deserves to have fun poked at it, and maybe by doing so it might make us all more aware of its foibles.
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Nothing we didn't already know, and yes. In fact, MSM/TV doesn't do any job of informing its viewers...that isn't the goal. The goal is to interest the viewers, which the Daily Show, IMHO, does a far better job at. If informing the viewers was the goal, most of the content of the typical newscast wouldn't ever see airtime. Take the covering of the recent school shooting in PA....all the information relayed could have been contained in about a 1 minute update. Ditto for absolutely any other sensational news event. Meanwhile, all sorts of actual information is therefore NOT being given airtime. Go back to the PA school shooting example. Was that the most important item of the day, or the most interesting? There were all sorts of things that must have happened that day that were far more important... but none of them were likely to be as interesting. I guess this isn't an indictment of MSM/TV, though...they just show what people want to watch. It says a lot more about us than it does them.
4. What source of political information do you recommend?
I guess only one...your own brain. Every other source is bad, and shouldn't be recommended to anyone...--particularly where politics is concerned, and every source will have a natural bias to it
As often as I can. It was the first show I set up on my DVR, so I only miss it when I'm out of town for a while, and there's just too many episodes to get caught up on. But with DVR, I can watch the whole thing in about 15 minutes when I skip all the commercials.
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
Well, that's an awfully low standard to live up to.
Given the preference for hype over substance on the evening news, one might rather wonder if it is on par with the Daily Show. That aside, I think that comedians need to have good grasp of the import of daily events in order to poke fun at them. Good comedy always provides insight that would be missed otherwise. Certainly, politics deserves to have fun poked at it, and maybe by doing so it might make us all more aware of its foibles.3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
Nothing we didn't already know, and yes. In fact, MSM/TV doesn't do any job of informing its viewers...that isn't the goal. The goal is to interest the viewers, which the Daily Show, IMHO, does a far better job at. If informing the viewers was the goal, most of the content of the typical newscast wouldn't ever see airtime. Take the covering of the recent school shooting in PA....all the information relayed could have been contained in about a 1 minute update. Ditto for absolutely any other sensational news event. Meanwhile, all sorts of actual information is therefore NOT being given airtime. Go back to the PA school shooting example. Was that the most important item of the day, or the most interesting? There were all sorts of things that must have happened that day that were far more important... but none of them were likely to be as interesting. I guess this isn't an indictment of MSM/TV, though...they just show what people want to watch. It says a lot more about us than it does them.
4. What source of political information do you recommend?
I guess only one...your own brain. Every other source is bad, and shouldn't be recommended to anyone...--particularly where politics is concerned, and every source will have a natural bias to it
How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
IT depends. If I'm near the TV when it airs I'll turn it on. On the average I'd say once or twice a week.
Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
It surpasses the evening news as far as substance goes. I'm quite pleased with the political coverage and format of the show.
What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
I think what sets the Daily Show apart from other news shows is that it acknowledges the absolute absurdity that exists in politics and in the media. Other shows take themselves way too seriously.
IT depends. If I'm near the TV when it airs I'll turn it on. On the average I'd say once or twice a week.
Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
It surpasses the evening news as far as substance goes. I'm quite pleased with the political coverage and format of the show.
What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
I think what sets the Daily Show apart from other news shows is that it acknowledges the absolute absurdity that exists in politics and in the media. Other shows take themselves way too seriously.
1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
1) Well, I get to watch the 'European' version - which is the same broadcast, except a few minutes shorter - presumably they cut out stuff which won't have made the European news and Jon Stewart does a 30 sec intro for European viewers. But I watch it whenever I am watching tv in the evenings - probably one or two days a week.
2) I wouldn't say it's a source of news - certainly I get my news from either the BBC or Sky News. I also get American MSM/TV news through satellite, but never really watch them (other than Fox, because it's so completely different from the way we get news in the UK). I think the Daily Show makes some good commentary on the news, but if it's your only source of news, then you're in trouble....
3) From what I've seen of American news channels, they seem to be more about entertainment than actually providing any news. Certainly Fox news seems to be incredibly un-informative, whilst at the same time, I quite like the repartee between the presenters and it has high production values. It just doesn't tell me much about the news.
Part of me thinks that maybe this is just a factor of a changing society - people get their news from the internet and expect entertainment from tv. You guys should get yourselves a BBC equivalent. They don't care two hoots about providing people tv they want to watch...but they do provide the tv that they think people 'need' to watch. Patronising - yes, but at least they don't force Neil Cavuto on a blameless public.
4) A wide variety of sources, most newspapers around the world have an online section, so you can trawl for lots of different viewpoints. There is a Japanese newspaper that puts North Korean newspapers (i.e. they get copies of North Korean newspapers and replicate them on their website) on its website, so you can marvel at the disinformation fest. Indian news reporting is good and in English, which helps monolinguists like myself......
2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
3. What does this say about MainStreamMedia/TV? Is this not a case of the Daily Show being informative but that the MSM/TV just does a really poor job informing its viewers?
4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
1) Well, I get to watch the 'European' version - which is the same broadcast, except a few minutes shorter - presumably they cut out stuff which won't have made the European news and Jon Stewart does a 30 sec intro for European viewers. But I watch it whenever I am watching tv in the evenings - probably one or two days a week.
2) I wouldn't say it's a source of news - certainly I get my news from either the BBC or Sky News. I also get American MSM/TV news through satellite, but never really watch them (other than Fox, because it's so completely different from the way we get news in the UK). I think the Daily Show makes some good commentary on the news, but if it's your only source of news, then you're in trouble....
3) From what I've seen of American news channels, they seem to be more about entertainment than actually providing any news. Certainly Fox news seems to be incredibly un-informative, whilst at the same time, I quite like the repartee between the presenters and it has high production values. It just doesn't tell me much about the news.
Part of me thinks that maybe this is just a factor of a changing society - people get their news from the internet and expect entertainment from tv. You guys should get yourselves a BBC equivalent. They don't care two hoots about providing people tv they want to watch...but they do provide the tv that they think people 'need' to watch. Patronising - yes, but at least they don't force Neil Cavuto on a blameless public.
4) A wide variety of sources, most newspapers around the world have an online section, so you can trawl for lots of different viewpoints. There is a Japanese newspaper that puts North Korean newspapers (i.e. they get copies of North Korean newspapers and replicate them on their website) on its website, so you can marvel at the disinformation fest. Indian news reporting is good and in English, which helps monolinguists like myself......
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1. How often do you watch the Daily Show ?
Very rarely. If I do, it's through youtube.com as we don't have cable.
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2. Do you agree that the Daily Show is a substantive source of news? Is it on par with the evening news?
Sadly, yes. I believe it has more to do with the dumbing-down of the news that started with anchors schmoozing with one another, field guys doing *cute* fluff stories about someone's dog or life, not to mention anything that Andy Rooney mentions on 60 Minutes that annoys him. The Daily Show has the same news topics of the day, Stewart just portrays it in a more interesting fashion and without the fluff.
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4. What source of political information do you recommend? (Please limit to 3)
For print media, I really enjoy the Washington Post, the Washington Times, as well as The Christian Science Monitor. For televised news, I'm a fan of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
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