The Daily Show Effect
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Since taking over The Daily Show in 1999, Stewart's cut-the-crap humour and endless send-ups of politicians and the world they inhabit have made him a force to be reckoned with in American politics. He has been on the cover of Newsweek and won Emmy awards. His U.S. audience has doubled in the last five years, to 1.3 million. In Canada, his ratings are also on the rise, with 400,000 watching him on the Comedy Network and CTV, according to Nielsen Media Research.
But is his sarcasm turning those who watch him the most — young adults — into giant cynics with a diminishing trust in politicians and the institutions of democracy?
One new study, published this month in the journal American Politics Research, says "yes." Reseachers have connected The Daily Show to lower opinions of politicians and greater cynicism toward the mainstream media and the electoral process itself. At the same time, for reasons the study's authors propose are none too flattering, these same young people also figure themselves quite confident in their own knowledge about the complex world of politics.
The researchers took three groups of students, exposing one group to a video montage from The Daily Show and another to a montage from the CBS Evening News. The videos' subject matter was matched as closely as possible, including content about the two major presidential candidates, Bush (the Republican candidate) and Democrat John Kerry. The third group served as a control and viewed neither clip. Everyone was then given a questionnaire evaluating the candidates.
Watching The Daily Show, but not the CBS Evening News, led students to rate the candidates more negatively. The impact was more profound on those students who had had only limited previous experience with The Daily Show. Other questions revealed that those who watched The Daily Show but not CBS had less trust in, and thus were more cynical toward, both the electoral process and the mainstream news media.
Since taking over The Daily Show in 1999, Stewart's cut-the-crap humour and endless send-ups of politicians and the world they inhabit have made him a force to be reckoned with in American politics. He has been on the cover of Newsweek and won Emmy awards. His U.S. audience has doubled in the last five years, to 1.3 million. In Canada, his ratings are also on the rise, with 400,000 watching him on the Comedy Network and CTV, according to Nielsen Media Research.
But is his sarcasm turning those who watch him the most — young adults — into giant cynics with a diminishing trust in politicians and the institutions of democracy?
One new study, published this month in the journal American Politics Research, says "yes." Reseachers have connected The Daily Show to lower opinions of politicians and greater cynicism toward the mainstream media and the electoral process itself. At the same time, for reasons the study's authors propose are none too flattering, these same young people also figure themselves quite confident in their own knowledge about the complex world of politics.
The researchers took three groups of students, exposing one group to a video montage from The Daily Show and another to a montage from the CBS Evening News. The videos' subject matter was matched as closely as possible, including content about the two major presidential candidates, Bush (the Republican candidate) and Democrat John Kerry. The third group served as a control and viewed neither clip. Everyone was then given a questionnaire evaluating the candidates.
Watching The Daily Show, but not the CBS Evening News, led students to rate the candidates more negatively. The impact was more profound on those students who had had only limited previous experience with The Daily Show. Other questions revealed that those who watched The Daily Show but not CBS had less trust in, and thus were more cynical toward, both the electoral process and the mainstream news media.
— ANDREW CHUNG, Toronto Star (2006/05/21)
I totally agree that people in a democracy have a right and responsibility to be critical. The real issue is whether that translates into a "right" to be cynical. It's definitely not the fault of Jon Stewart or the Daily Show; they wouldn't have any material if it weren't for the politicians and leaders themselves providing the comedic fodder. But while it's all well and good to poke fun and laugh at the foibles of elected officials, it shouldn't be mistaken as a replacement for true civic engagement.
posted by þΛųL jØŋαŦhΛŋ @ 10:15
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