Political Column
The New Face of News
by David Morin, Columnist
March 5, 2007
If you were born before 1977 and have no high school or college-age children, the following names might mean nothing to you: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. If you were born after 1977 or have high school or college-age kids, you probably already know and have come to love the new faces of nightly and comedic news.
Stewart and Colbert host The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, respectively. These comedians turned reporters have come to represent Generations X and Y not only as conduits of newsworthy events, but also as hip role models. Stewart and Colbert have made even the stylish Anderson Cooper look like Andy Rooney.
For the older crowd who are probably not familiar with The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (pronounced Cole-bear Re-pour), I will give you a brief introduction to the programs. For the under 30 demographic, please skip ahead to the third paragraph. Broadcast on Comedy Central, The Daily Show (11:00 pm/10:00pm CST) and The Colbert Report (11:30pm/10:30 pm CST) are satiric news programs that mock and ridicule mainstream news programs, current and political events, and modern day pundits.
The Daily Show is a nightly news/Tonight Show hybrid with Jon Stewart as the anchorman. Graphics and a number of “expert” reporters complement his opening monologue, which parallels a nightly news program. The second half of the show has Stewart interviewing a number of notable celebrities, authors and politicians, including Jerry Seinfeld, Arianna Huffington, Bill Clinton and Colin Powell. Although Stewart interviews his guests using a straightforward approach, his comedic skill still transforms even the most boring of individuals into entertaining people.
In contrast, The Colbert Report satirically models itself after a pundit-dominated news program (think O’Reilly Factor). Colbert’s self-absorbed, narcissistic and ultra right-wing alter ego rails against everything deemed to be a detriment to the country, including books, Democrats, bears, The New York Times, and gay marriage. His blind love of George W. Bush’s agenda is unwavering even in the face of contradictory evidence. Like Stewart’s show, the latter half of The Colbert Report has Stephen Colbert interviewing politicians, authors and celebrities.
Unlike the other late night talk shows, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report revolve around the media and political events. Important information is often gained by watching the two shows. A scathing social critique of the Bush administration, modern day mainstream news and foreign events are rarely heard from Leno or Letterman. At their core, The Late Show and Tonight Show are entertainment programs produced to transmit celebrity news and gossip. Letterman and Leno may make jokes about politics in passing, but there is very little substance to any of their comedic routines.
Stewart and Colbert succeed where not only Leno and Letterman fail, but where Couric, Williams, and Gibson fail as well. Concerned with noteworthy political events, The Daily Show and Colbert Report have melded satire, information, and comedy into two one-half hour shows. A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania showed Daily Show viewers were more likely to have accurate facts regarding the 2004 presidential election than those who received their news from Leno, Letterman, and/or the nightly newscasts of ABC, NBC, and CBS. It is no wonder then why young people are turning away from CBS, ABC, and NBC to get not only laughs, but news as well.
It would be dishonest to tout The Daily Show and Colbert Report without addressing the critics. On a recent appearance of the O’Reilly Factor, infamous reporter Geraldo Rivera derided Stewart and Colbert. “They make a living putting on video of old ladies slipping on ice and people laughing. That’s their life. They exist in a small little place where they count for nothing.”
I would like to know what Geraldo thinks is small. Is 1.5 million viewers a small number? Is capturing the often mobile teenage and twenty-something demographic a small feat? Is trying to disseminate truthful and important material while making us laugh a small task? Stewart and Colbert’s mission (if you want to call it that) is to convey a form of satire that makes the viewer not only learn what is happening around him/her, but also to appreciate the sheer comedic value of everyday events.
Oh and Geraldo, How do you make a living? Oh yes, by opening Capone’s tomb and finding nothing, by breaking your nose on your talk show, and by giving away troop positions. Although you didn’t slip and fall on ice, we still laughed at you.