"Daily Show" Viewers Most Knowledgeable About Campaigns

[PeachMonkey]

The Annenberg Public Policy Center has determined that late-night comedy viewers are more likely to know the issue positions and backgrounds of candidates than people who don't watch.

"In fact, Daily Show viewers have higher campaign knowledge than national news viewers and newspaper readers - even when education, party identification, following politics, watching cable news, receiving campaign information online, age, and gender are taken into consideration."

See: http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/naes/2004_03_late-night-knowledge-2_9-21_pr.pdf

The release goes on to state that the show itself is not solely responsible -- that viewers are assumed by the program to have a high level of campaign knowledge -- but that some of the knowledge likely also came from the program itself.

 

[Cruentus]

Even more interesting is that a study was done to determine how knowledgable viewers were of the different sources, and it was determined that Fox News viewers where the least informed, with an almost 70% believing false information like Al Queda and Saddam having Nuclear weapons, Saddam having WMD's, and Saddam being responsable for 9-11.

So, what we are saying here is viewers of a "fake news" 1/2 comedy show are more informed then viewers of the supposed "fair and balanced" real media.

One has to ask what this says about the state of media in our country...

PAUL
:ultracool

 

[Spud]

Daily show viewers probably find humor or get it because they like politics. The show draws people who take the time to follow issues and want to be entertained by politics.

They aren't necessarily being informed by the Daily Show, but watch the Daily Show because they are informed and want to be entertained.

 

[Ceicei]

So, what we are saying here is viewers of a "fake news" 1/2 comedy show are more informed then viewers of the supposed "fair and balanced" real media.

One has to ask what this says about the state of media in our country...

PAUL
:ultracool

Late night comedy shows frequently have guests come on who share their views. THe hosts often refer to their sources where they got their material, so viewers can go to the same sources and see the actual info that is being derided.

- Ceicei

 

[hardheadjarhead]

I have to agree with the idea that "The Daily Show" viewers tend to have more political saavy. Look at their guests as of late...McCain, Kerry, Chris Matthews.

I think it an error to assume that the show educates viewers. I think the viewers are educated, hence they appreciate the humor presented (pretty much what Spud said). They're not the "stoners" that O'Reilly says they are.

Stewart and his cronies are bright and off-beat comedians. The writers are darned good...they crank out some incredible stuff in the short time they have from an item hitting the news.

I love the show...I hope it goes to DVD. I'd collect it.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Cruentus]

I don't think the daily show is educating its viewers, however, I find it ironic that those who are supposed to be doing the "fair and balanced" informing seem to be dropping the ball.

 

[PeachMonkey]

Yep. Shows like "The Daily Show" and Bill Maher's HBO series actually provide some reason to watch.

The political punditry hosted on the major networks' various talking-head series remind me more of a poker game for mummies than anything else.

 

[rmcrobertson]

...and Stewart has never to my knowledge put on a vest, looked out at America, and ended the broadcast by saying, "Courage."

 

[Phoenix44]

Jon Stewart calls it "fake news." I call it "reality TV."

 

[Cryozombie]

Yep. Shows like "The Daily Show" and Bill Maher's HBO series actually provide some reason to watch.

IF you subscribe to their adgenda, that is...

I avoid them, for the same reason I avoid FOX news...

And I gotta tell ya... when I went downstate for my father's funeral, all my family had on TV was Fox News, and I couldn't stand it... More and more... I find myself avoiding the news media alltogther.

 

[bignick]

last night the daily show had archbishop desmond tutu on...if they aren't careful they're gonna end up as a real news show....

they've had bill clinton, john kerry, hillary clinton, bob dole and john mccain...numerous times from both if i remember correctly...it seems like more often the guest is a big time political figure than the a normal "celebrity"

 

[Touch Of Death]

I don't think the daily show is educating its viewers, however, I find it ironic that those who are supposed to be doing the "fair and balanced" informing seem to be dropping the ball.

My first experience with Fox news both horrified me and made me smile. Some event occured and the news caster asked a stupid redneck question like, "why don't we just go in and bomb them.." or something like that. It was a stupid question but it was a question that a lot of people might ask. I was pleased with this somehow; because, the guest was then given the chance to explain the folly of that point of view. They appeal to a much larger demographic, and they have a starting point is a lot further back than daily show people. Genius! I tell you.
Sean