Comedy vs the Traditional News Networks

Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher are often excellent sources of information on current world affairs.  Studies have shown that viewers of their new genre of news as comedy are more informed about world affairs, are generally also more cynical about candidates, campaigns, the electoral system and the news media than network news viewers. Like Clarksville Online, they are an excellent alternative to traditional media.

Using the entire half-hour programs as the basis of analysis yielded the same results: there was just as much substance to The Daily Show’s coverage as there was on the network news. And The Daily Show was much funnier, with less of the hype—references to photo ops, political endorsements, and polls—that typically overshadows substantive coverage on network news, according to the study…

Professor Fox’s study, titled “No Joke: A Comparison of Substance in The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Broadcast Network Television Coverage of the 2004 Presidential Election Campaign,” will be published next summer in the Journal of Broadcast and Electronic Media. – Ars Technica interview with Professor Fox

Take a look and see what you think…

The Daily Show

Monday – Thursday 11pm P/10pm C on Comedy Central

One anchor, five correspondents, zero credibility.

If you’re tired of the stodginess of the evening newscasts, if you can’t bear to sit through the spinmeisters and shills on the 24-hour cable news networks, don’t miss The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a nightly half-hour series unburdened by objectivity, journalistic integrity or even accuracy.

The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Daily Show takes a reality-based look at news, trends, pop culture, current events, politics, sports and entertainment with an alternative point of view. In each show anchorman Jon Stewart and a team of correspondents, including Dan Bakkedahl, John Oliver, Rob Riggle, Jason Jones and Samantha Bee and Lewis Black, comment on the day’s stories, employing actual news footage, taped field pieces, in-studio guests and on-the-spot coverage of important news events.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – it’s even better than being informed.

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The Colbert Report

Monday – Thursday 11:30pm P/10:30pm C on Comedy Central

On October 17th, 2005, television and linguistic history was made with the premiere of The Colbert Report, hosted by former Daily Show correspondent and bear-hating patriot Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. It was on that show that Stephen coined the word ” truthiness”, which went on to become Merriam-Webster’s 2006 Word of the Year.

Almost immediately, his fan base demanded to know more about their icon, and thus, rabid fan site Colbert Nation was born. It wasn’t long before Stephen had a Hungarian bridge named after him and an ice cream flavor created in his honor.

Other Colbert Report landmarks include Stephen’s 434-part series, Better Know a District, his Green Screen Challenges and his cartoon adventure, Tek Jansen

With the gravitas of Stone Phillips and the spirit of Captain America, nobody feels the news at you like Stephen Colbert. Papa Bear must be proud.

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Real time with Bill Maher

11pm on Friday on HBO

Bill Maher is one of the most politically astute comedians in America today. His unflinching honesty and commitment to never pulling a punch have garnered him the respect and admiration of millions of fans. In 2003, Maher launched a new show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” on HBO, a network that’s a perfect fit for his irreverent style. The hour-long show airs live at 11:00PM on Friday nights.

“Real Time with Bill Maher” has received multiple Emmy nominations as well as nominations from the Writers’ Guild of America and Producers’ Guild of America. Some of the outstanding guests who have appeared on the show include George Clooney, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Robin Williams, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Whitford, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen. Wesley Clark, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan, Ben Affleck, John Edwards and George Carlin. Each week, Bill’s hilarious opening monologue, incisive interviews and stimulating panel discussion, as well as his extremely popular “New Rules” segment, serve to wrap up the week’s most important events in a way that makes you think, as well as laugh.

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* Show descriptions are from the web sites for the individual shows.