In the wake of Walter Cronkite’s death last Friday, the mainstream media has been in a some kind of narcissistic tailspin, whining about how much the news has changed since “the good old days”. Even though I find it a little grotesque, it seems Time Magazine did a poll right after Cronkite’s death to see who Americans would now pick as their “most trusted newsman”. Brian Williams? Katie Couric? Perhaps someone old-school, like Tom Brokaw or Mike Wallace? Not so much. Jon Stewart, host, writer and producer of The Daily Show won hands down. Because apparently Americans think Jon’s parody and satire are more trustworthy than anything Chris Matthews has to say:
Well, in a result that he will probably accept as downright apocalyptic for America, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart has been selected, in an online poll conducted by Time Magazine, as America’s Most Trusted Newscaster, post-Cronkite.
Matched up against Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, Stewart prevailed with 44 percent of the vote.
Now, if we’re being honest, he probably managed to prevail as the winner precisely because he was the odd man out in a field of network news anchors. Nevertheless, I think Jim Cramer should feel free to SNACK ON THAT.
Brian Williams drew the second largest percentage of votes, with 29 percent. Gibson and Couric finished third and fourth, respectively, with 19 and 7 percent of the vote.
Time has helpfully broken out the results, state-by-state, so if you want to muse on some anomalous results, feel free. Brian Williams won Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Delaware and Vermont, and tied in Kentucky and Alaska. Charlie Gibson was big in Tennessee and Montana. Katie Couric pulled off the Mondalian feat of winning one state: Iowa.
Stewart finished no lower than second place in all states, except, curiously, Vermont.
[From Huffington Post]
Time’s full poll results are here. I’m honestly not surprised that Americans in general think Jon Stewart is trustworthy – but I was surprised by some of the results. Like, how in the world did Charlie Gibson not do better? He’s lovely, and I totally trust him. As for Jon’s “victory”, I suspect people like him and trust him because he’s sort of been on a truth-telling rampage lately. The best of which was probably the intense battle royale he had with CNBC’s Jim Cramer back in March. So when is Jon Stewart going to knock Robert Pattinson off the People cover? And what about Stephen Colbert?!?
Jon Stewart is shown on 9/21/09. Credit: WENN.com
Why don’t folks just get their news from ‘The Onion,’ like I do.
<3 Jon Stewart.
As far as him giving me the news…well, I like that too.
Haha.
But hopefully, people get their facts/news from all over. Diversify!
Thank God Stephen Colbert was no where near this poll. I can’t stand that guy. Anyway, good for Jon.
Bill, while I think that The Onion is an excellent choice for it isn’t always the most credible news source, which is why I personally choose The Weekly World News.
Re Steven Colbert, he isn’t striving for credibility, he is a comedian with a social/journalistic bent. He is VERY funny, and so very often on point with his satirical fake-stupid commentary. I like that the guests are in on the joke. Great show, funny guy, but Jon Stewart is truly great a what he does.
Taylor B, they got Dan Savage?
Bill, I am afraid they don’t have Dan Savage, but if it weren’t for The Weekly World News I never would have read this brilliant piece of investigative journalism, Behold…
PALIN BAGS A BIGFOOT
Posted on Saturday, October 11th, 2008
By Reginald Cunningham III
WASILLA, AK – Records and eyewitnesses have come to light that prior to announcing her candidacy for the Vice Presidency; Sarah Palin shot a Bigfoot from a helicopter.
A government helicopter was seen flying low over the Chugach National Park with what witnesses described as “a sexy librarian shooting out the side.” Employees at a local bait shop report seeing a similar woman only hours before carrying an infant in a camouflage Baby Bjorn.
The Bigfoot, or Sasquatch as it is known in scientific circles, was found dead on the outskirts of the park, just south of Wasilla, Alaska. Preliminary forensics reports confirm that an adult male Sasquatch was shot in the face with Palin’s trademark 5mm M4 Carbine Assault Rifle.
Environmental groups are in an uproar at the hunting death of a rare and notoriously reclusive species. Efforts to have the Sasquatch placed on the endangered species list have met with repeated opposition from state legislature, since protecting the ‘Missing Link’ could be seen as validating evolution.
He is a very handsome man 🙂
Oh yeah, he is honest and smart too (that’s important, I guess…)
“Truth telling rampage,” I enjoyed the comment. Hello to the media! I rapidly change channels and turn off said television if I can’t get my needs for honesty in reporting, (little to none exists)… = )
(Net included = )
I adore the Daily Show and I love Jon Stewart. He did a pie-to-the-face gag two nights ago, hee!
Anywho, people who say they “get their news'(I hate that expression. You can’t “get” news. You hear it or read it or see it, period. There is no “getting”…end mini rant) from The Daily Show are lying liars.
The show has about 15 minutes tops of actual satirical news reporting and even then, he only gets to talk about 4 or 5 major events that happened during the week and it’s usually targeted at some stupid comment some idiot politician made.
HashBrowns: would “obtain” uncurl your toes? I “procure” my news from wherever…both mean the same thing: “get.”
I read my news on my computer via DSL which is a product I have to “get” before I can read the online news.
Or, I pay 50 cents to purchase or “get” a newspaper to read it regular-style.
Alternatively I have to pull in a station on my radio receiver so I can “get” a signal to hear the news.
“Get” it?
Thanks TaylorB, that’s some good honest to god journalism right there.
“that’s some good honest to god journalism right there.”
Bill, While I appreciate it, no thanks are needed. I feel it is my civic duty to keep others informed and not only is the WWN uniquely informative I certainly feel much more secure going about my daily business knowing that they diligently keep close tabs on our rogue ‘Bigfoot killing’ politicians , alien abductions, mutant activities and of course the location of Batboy so that we don’t have fret. 😉
Bless their hearts.
~
Cheney and Bush lied to Congress so the U.S. would go to war. They also lied to every media possible.
And the media went along for the ride.
It’s bad enough, and not surprising that Congress wouldn’t check the facts. But the media are supposed to and for the most part didn’t.
And those that did were all but ignored.
Many people don’t want news, they want factoids and headlines. Most situations are complicated, there may even be more than two sides to a story instead of the manipulated one side we get.
A major story would require pages to do justice to, and most of us don’t want to read that much, especially if it’s boring.
One of the problems with society is that a great many people know more about Paris Hilton than they do about Seymour Hersh.
He and some others reported months before 9/11 that an attack was imminent, and their sources were reliable.
Did any of the majors pick up on the story?
There is simply a lot going on we don’t know about and it won’t take much effort to find out.
How many of these stories have you read about?
http://tinyurl.com/4aequt
And what’s with this nutty obsession with calling most media outlets ‘liberal’. It’s intellectually lazy and immature.
Since we are deeply affected by what happens in the world we should know how to use the reported information about it, and learn how to ask the right questions.
I’ve thought for years that we should have a media criticism course in our high schools. So that we would be less um, passive when it comes to obtaining (or getting) our information.
ROFLMAO.
Hashbrown- I think you might be right (this once) a lot of Americans don’t “get” the news at all. They watch Fox. I think you’re wrong about The Daily Show though. While Jon gives us the news in a humorous format, he gives us the news in a more honest fashion than another news reporter. He is interested in the truth, whatever it may be. That’s all I want.
Please don’t get me wrong. I watch th Daily Show every day it comes on (Monday through Thursday) and I’ve been going through the old episodes on Comedy Central in chronological order because I love the show that much.
I just feel that the show usually doesn’t have enough substance to really be called a news show. Your average news show goes through I don’t know how many stories in a half hour or hour. Jon focuses on a few funny things and tells the truth about certain situations (Like Lou Dobbs and the Birthers and not watching his own show).
But he also does silly things that aren’t really reporting on the news. Anyone remember the Coot-Off? Friggin hilarious…not news.
Jon Stewart is the closest to Cronkite than any other of the Iraq War liars in the corporate media.
I call Charlie Gibson the Britney Spears of Network news, I still remember when he hosted the Nomination and Presidential Debates and asked the stupidest of questions without fail, instead of focusing on the questions Americans wanted answered he kept asking Obama about him being a celebrity.
Also,
Congrats Jon you are a king in this kingdom of blind, deaf and dumb news anchor world.
I get my news from The Daily Show and PBS, I’m totally covered.
Say what you will, but Jon Stewart does a damn good job of calling out other news programs when they are doing a stink job. Kramer, anyone?
well when you “get” your news from jon stewart, keep in mind that he’s extremely liberal…
I’ve watched TDS for years now, and have gradually realized that it is, in fact, a great source for a refreshingly honest (and satirically funny) take on current events and politics. Yes they do a lot of silly things, but Jon has had some really terrific interviews and asks good, solid, intelligent questions, and isn’t afraid to go head to head with some political heavyweights. I think he’s very intelligent and extremely well informed, and I love that the show doesn’t tip toe around anyone and doesn’t hesitate to call out the mainstream media when they do a crappy job (which is pretty much all the time). The show holds people accountable for their words and their actions, and has also become a great platform for promoting interesting and lesser known books and authors, and getting the opinions of people who are typically forced into the background.
It’s a great show.
>>well when you “get” your news from jon stewart, keep in mind that he’s extremely liberal… <<
As opposed to FOX “News” which is run with no bias at all?
Perhaps you should perhaps use this really wacky deviced called a dictionary. Try looking up the definition of liberal. It doesn’t mean what you think it does.
I dont get the news from Jon Stewart. I get it from news outlets, and then go to Jon to point out how idiotic it is.
Jon didn’t acknowledge this win as America’s most-trusted newscaster on tonight’s show. There was better news to make fun of 🙂
Which shows you just how low and base the news has become. It’s just another commodity to be bought, sold and traded and to do that they have to sensationalize everything and pander to the audience’s emotions. Comic or not, he’s the only person on the news scene delivering the information in a format isn’t designed to either scare you senseless or tell how wrong we are to have a black man in the white house. He makes the other network news people look ridiculous.
Buahahahahahahahahaha.Jon Stewart??!!! Muahahahahahahahahaha what a joke! He is the most complete ass that ever cursed the airwaves. A total phony, not even 99% but 100%.An insult to any intelligent, sentient being, this guy is a farce. If I see this hack while Im surfing the channels, even briefly, I have to get up and wash my face. He SUCKS!