Jon Stewart: The Most Trusted Man in News

By Michelle Giametta on 08/02/2009

It seems fitting that during a time of serious economic turmoil and war people would rather laugh at the news than be depressed by the gruesome reality of it all. It's way more entertaining to poke fun at political officials and events than it is to sit down and watch a panel of commentators discuss the latest breaking news story.

In a recent poll done by Times Magazine, 44% of a total 9,409 people polled said that comedian Jon Stewart is America's most trusted newscaster now that Walter Cronkite has passed on- beating out veteran news anchors such as Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric. Is this recent poll a message from the American people to the major news networks? Has the American public become fed up with America's news anchors?

Is anyone really shocked by this outcome? For months people have been debating about the importance of comedic news shows like The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Isn't it time society face the facts and acknowledge Jon Stewart as a credible newscaster?

Stewart's uncanny ability to go where no newscaster has gone before- raising questions that a great majority of newscasters are unwilling to ask- has won him this title. He doesn't worry about being politically correct and because of that he is being seen as the most credible news journalist in the United States. Stewart is another public figure that Americans can add to their list of people they'd like to "have a beer with."

Just because Stewart uses comedy to talk about current events doesn't make the information he is reporting any less credible. In an article written for the NY Times the author states, "Stewart describes his job as "throwing spitballs" from the back of the room and points out that "The Daily Show" mandate is to entertain, not inform." However, is that really true?

"The Daily Show continues to grab the issues that matter to you and probe them until they're extremely uncomfortable. Jon's interviews have ranged from serious policy discussions with future presidents and non-presidents Barack Obama and John Kerry to hilarious conversations with comedy legends Don Rickles and Steve Martin to verbal smack-downs of media big shots Jim Cramer and Chris Matthews to analysis of important books with authors you've never heard of."

Americans have grown accustomed to being entertained and their attention span has grown increasingly shorter. In today's households, most people have access to over a thousand channels. Networks need to be sharp and on their toes. If what the news anchors are talking about on television isn't interesting to the viewer all they have to do is look to the bottom of the screen and read the news scroll or simply change the channel. People don't have the time or patience to learn about the intricacies of the issues, they just want a brief overview.

Is Jon Stewart's comedic news reporting changing the way Americans will watch the news in the future? Just as it's stated on the "about" section for TheDailyShow.com: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: it's even better than being informed." You Decide...

[Additional Photos: "The Daily Show", 2008; Times Magazine Poll, 2009; "The Daily Show", 2009]