New study finds 'fake news' shows are uninformative...

[HotHotHeat]

Researchers from Ohio State University found television viewers who watch fake news programs are less informed about issues and candidates in election campaigns than those who watch network news shows.

Young Mie Kim, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State., said both news and entertainment promote some knowledge gain, "but people who are exposed to news gain more factual information and learn more about a wide range of important topics than those exposed to entertainment media.

Maybe true if considering all fake news, but the way the story is presented it seems to be discussing mainly the Daily Show.

Jon Stewart is probably one of the most informed, intellectual TV personalities on TV today.

If the study finds that his show, and others like it, are not properly informing the public, my guess is that they fail to realize there is an assumption made that the people taking in these shows already know BS news story that the main stream media has tried to spin.

IMO the way he presents his show is simply too intelligent for the average TV viewer to grasp.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

EDIT:

Should also point out that a Canadian university professor disagrees, and coincidentally knows what he's talking about.

Megan Boler, a professor of media studies and philosophy of education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, disagrees and points to other studies.

A 2007 Pew Research Center study found that fans of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report rank high in surveys of public affairs knowledge, she said.

[CaramonLS]

In fairness the study did include FOX news, so the numbers are going to be a little skewed...

[doozwimp]

no kidding... The point of "fake" news is to counter the CNN's and Fox's who blatently spin stories one way or the other. I agree with you that Jon Stewart is one of the smartest people on TV.

[flip]

Most of my friends, as well as myself, who are involved/interested with politics get most of their political news from the Daily Show and The Colbert Report. (and I'm a Poli Sci major).

It certainly doesn't replace the kind of national info you can get on news but in terms of fairly broad political news it is far more informative (and less biased and dumbed down) than CNN or Fox (although technically I don't consider that news, it's entertainment like the Daily Show).

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Researchers from Ohio State University found television viewers who watch fake news programs are less informed about issues and candidates in election campaigns than those who watch network news shows.

Young Mie Kim, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State., said both news and entertainment promote some knowledge gain, "but people who are exposed to news gain more factual information and learn more about a wide range of important topics than those exposed to entertainment media.

Maybe true if considering all fake news, but the way the story is presented it seems to be discussing mainly the Daily Show.

Jon Stewart is probably one of the most informed, intellectual TV personalities on TV today.

If the study finds that his show, and others like it, are not properly informing the public, my guess is that they fail to realize there is an assumption made that the people taking in these shows already know BS news story that the main stream media has tried to spin.

IMO the way he presents his show is simply too intelligent for the average TV viewer to grasp.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

EDIT:

Should also point out that a Canadian university professor disagrees, and coincidentally knows what he's talking about.

Megan Boler, a professor of media studies and philosophy of education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, disagrees and points to other studies.

A 2007 Pew Research Center study found that fans of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report rank high in surveys of public affairs knowledge, she said.

ROFLMAO.

Sorry, but Stewart's show is probably too smart for MOST of his audience. Don't try to give that audience more credit than they deserve. There are a ton of Daily Show fans who don't have a clue.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

ROFLMAO.

Sorry, but Stewart's show is probably too smart for MOST of his audience. Don't try to give that audience more credit than they deserve. There are a ton of Daily Show fans who don't have a clue.

that core audience of college kids who just like the show for the swearing and comedy bits will always be there, they have been from the start when it was with Craig Kilborn. what Stewart has done though is attract an older more socially aware audience and has forced the "real" news networks to take him seriously. and you don't watch the daily show for news, they never talk about headline items like plane crashes or hurricanes. you watch the daily show to get away from the political spin and look at things like a rational human being, something CNN and the like haven't done in years

[Cowboy89]

I watch the Daily Show and Colbert for the gags and a cheap laugh. None of the humor is really digging more than skin deep. All they do is present a political news story and apply cynicism to it. For some who only watch these shows and read fringe web blogs sometimes the stories in their minds take on the persona Colbert and Stewart build up or exaggerate as being reality. It's hardly brilliance. I think having an OP who disagrees with the accuracy of the story who also thinks 9/11 is an inside job is contributing evidence to prove the thesis.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I watch the Daily Show and Colbert for the gags and a cheap laugh. None of the humor is really digging more than skin deep. All they do is present a political news story and apply cynicism to it. For some who only watch these shows and read fringe web blogs sometimes the stories in their minds take on the persona Colbert and Stewart build up or exaggerate as being reality. It's hardly brilliance. I think having an OP who disagrees with the accuracy of the story who also thinks 9/11 is an inside job is contributing evidence to prove the thesis.

Nice shot. Where do you gather the knowledge that gives you such shining brilliance and the ability to place yourself on a pedestal? Enlighten me...

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Nice shot. Where do you gather the knowledge that gives you such shining brilliance and the ability to place yourself on a pedestal? Enlighten me...

No pedistal, I'm even in the demographic that watches the show that was slighted by the article. I just fail to see how being in said demographic would correlate to being more informed, especially considering that their job is to entertain. Jon Stewart strikes me as a decently intelligent man, however you don't amass the ratings on TV he gets by only reaching the "enlighted."

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

No pedistal, I'm even in the demographic that watches the show that was slighted by the article. I just fail to see how being in said demographic would correlate to being more informed, especially considering that their job is to entertain. Jon Stewart strikes me as a decently intelligent man, however you don't amass the ratings on TV he gets by only reaching the "enlighted."

Doesn't explain why you took a needless and blatant shot at hothotheat.

[rockstar]

I really thought this was going to be a link to an article by The Onion.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by rockstar

I really thought this was going to be a link to an article by The Onion.

So did I.

[Muta]

As a young person who has a large interest in politics and political issues, I find that I actually have learned more about the American political system from Stewart and Colbert, weirdly enough, than I have watching regular news.

While they put a comical spin on things, they do it through an intelligent brand of comedy while not really skewing any facts in the process - they just put their own spin on it afterwards for entertainment purposes, but they expect people to know the difference between fact and joke. The amount of knowledge they possess regarding the political realm of America and sometimes the rest of the world is truly impressive; I'm sure these two, if you sat them down for a one-on-one debate each regarding mainstream issues, would probably mop the floor with most us.

If I'm not watching those two semi-regularly, I'm atleast watching BBC - arguably the best, most unbiased news station on the planet.