PressEthic

Just to continue our conversation from the last class, I found this article listed on I Want Media yesterday. Written by Matthew Flamm, the article describes the growing influence of Jon Stewart on our society:

But now Mr. Stewart has moved into even more select company. He's becoming an opinion shaper--the Oprah of the political world. Publishers vie with each other to get their authors on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” and the satirist is becoming an ever more powerful influence in the media world--particularly with the elusive younger generation.

I’m not too fond of the Oprah analogy, but I guess it works.

It’s an impressive feat to capture the attention of the “elusive younger generation,” but Stewart’s influence extends to the bigwigs too:

“I think his influence is not just in the size or demographics of his audience. He's part of the daily diet of decision-makers in Washington and New York,” says Michael Cornfield, senior research consultant at the Pew Internet & American Life Project. “You can't measure that in numbers. You measure it around the watercooler.”

A few months ago – correct me if I’m wrong – Stewart was the target of some fairly harsh criticism. I remember hearing that it was so horrible that people got all of their news from a comedy show. While I agree that it is never a good thing when people get their news from any one source (fake or not), at least Stewart is getting some well-deserved credit now.

Stewart, like some of the better bloggers out there, provides a beneficial addition to anyone’s news experience.