Jon Stewart: Most Trusted Name in News
By anna728
@anna728 (1499)
United States
July 26, 2009 8:50pm CST
Walter Kronkite in his day was considered "the most trusted name in news". In light of his death there was a survey to see how held that position now. The results? Jon Stewart! From Comedy Central's news show! What do you think of this? Does this mean Jon Stewart is really good at what he does? That his show should be taken more seriously? Or maybe that news isn't as good as is used to be if the best is comedy? What is your opinion on all this?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@daman24 (5)
• Canada
27 Jul 09
I really don't think that Jon Stewart is deserving of that kind of title. I mean hes a great political satirist but new is meant to reported without bias. I don't think then that Stewart can then fit the description. I do however trust a guy like him better that every reporter for Fox News.
2 people like this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
22 Aug 09
Anna, may I ask why you don't care for the folks at Fox?
@anna728 (1499)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Because I think Fox is a moutpiece for bigoted conservatives, to be frank. I mean people accuse MSNBC of being left-leaning, and some of that could be true, but NEARLY to the same extent as Fox. I really think that a lot of what is shown on the Fox network is really dishonest, misleading, and unethical. The whole point of a free press is to have an informed citizenry. Not a group of people blindly following the twisted words of sleazebags.
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@Laurie1986 (384)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I think Jon Stewart is tremendous at what he does. I'm on the fence about slapping him with that kind of a title, but I think it's an indicator of a greater trend. Looking back in human history, you can get people to listen to what you say and to do a lot of things by making them laugh. In Shakespearean plays, it's tradition that the jester, the servant or the "fool" character is the only one who knows what's really going on and is the wisest of the bunch. I think we're seeing evidence of just how perceptive that is. People want journalism they can trust, but they also appreciate it when a human face is put on the news, as was evidenced by the strong response to the emotion that was present in the Hurricane Katrina reporting by Anderson Cooper, Soledad O'Brien and Brian Williams, among others. Jon Stewart puts that human face on things, and while he plays the fool because his ultimate goal is to get a laugh, it's no secret to his viewers that he fact-checks absolutely everything, three times if necessary. Bias is a serious issue in journalism, but the truth is that nothing on that show is represented as fact unless it is indeed fact.
So I think we're approaching a new generation in broadcasting here, and it will be one that a lot of purists aren't going to like. We're reaching a point where satire and humor is no longer verboten, where perhaps everybody doesn't have to wear a tie, or never smile, or be stodgy by default, maybe there'll even be a jazz band (After Hours on MSNBC, anyone?) Do we still need fact before opinion? Absolutely. But the American people are smart enough to receive and process these facts with a bit of levity thrown in the mix, and I'm excited to see where this will lead.
@anna728 (1499)
• United States
21 Aug 09
The Shakespeare jester thing seems very fitting here... I think you are right that the human face and fact-checking are two of Stewart's assets. I also think it's interesting how satire and humor and blending more with factual news... I think all that is fun to watch while also informative... but what I find much more alarming is the blending of commentary and spin with news that is so common now. There are lots of shows (both tv and radio) with an extremely biased guy talking about "news" but then reporting it in a very misleading and dishonest way.
@Laurie1986 (384)
• United States
21 Aug 09
That's very true. I think editorializing has its place; it's when the distinction is not made clear that it's a problem (i.e. FOX News Channel using "fair and balanced" as its tagline). I think both MSNBC and FNC have a distinct bias, but MSNBC is clear about it where FNC is not. And most of the commentary on MSNBC is during the prime time shows...the all-day coverage is still left-leaning, but not nearly as much. Fox is just a mouthpiece for Rupert Murdoch.
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