Politics Is a Joke! How TV Comedians Are Remaking Political Life

Accompanied by ample wit from Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and performers on Saturday Night Live, the well-documented findings of Lichter’s Center for Media and Public Affairs demonstrate how comedians, not journalists, are increasingly leading the conversation about politics. This shift, from traditional news to satire, reflects a change in how people get news as well as the increasing disillusionment with government; the authors crisply point out that this shift has drawbacks, chief among them that focusing on easy targets may add to increasing dysfunction and polarization, rather than informing the electorate. Charts examining the types of jibes directed at Bill Clinton predictably reveal a myopic focus on the tabloid elements of his presidency, while the minimal level of attention garnered by President Obama reveals a disinterest because of his lack of personal scandal. More than a decade’s worth of research on indicators, from presidential approval ratings to candidate favorability, demonstrate that, with the notable exception of The Daily Show, whose viewers the authors cite as being more politically sophisticated, the quest for a pithy punch line is replacing analysis as the journalistic standard. [em](Aug.) [/em]