Reid 1

Seanna Reid
D. Watkins
Composition II T TR 9:00
19 February 2015
The Fake Show
Breaking News: The President of the United States has been sentenced to serve ten years
in a maximum-security prison for stealing Vice President Bidens favorite pen, but he will be
able to finish out his term from behind bars. Although this story is ridiculous and the majority of
the population will know that it is completely false, there will be a number of people who will be
convinced that it is factual because it came from a news show. For many years false media
outlets like The Daily Show have been supplying its viewers with fake and sometimes
believable news broadcasts. These media shows attract viewers of all ages because it is simply
more entertaining than the real news. This seems like a harmless show, but it has become
extremely detrimental to individuals and real news stations. While fake news shows like The
Daily Show have been gaining popularity because of their entertaining and comical content, I
believe that these false media shows create greater issues causing individuals to be ill informed
and uneducated about real concerns.
The rapid increase of individuals who take part in viewing television shows that are
comprised of fiction have led to fake news programs gaining popularity. The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart draws traffic to his spectacle by taking real news stories and twisting them around to
create a satirical and humorous display. While this comes across as amusing for a knowledgeable
person, for an uneducated individual it can be perceived as factual and creditable media. The
last episode of The Daily Show I witnessed was poking fun at the current measles outbreak

Reid 2
occurring because of unvaccinated children. Since I am a routine spectator of real news
programs, I knew that this was in fact a current epidemic that was arising. Many of Jon Stewarts
stories that the covers are centered on real news events, and can be often misunderstood (Zinser,
367). The show mocked the liberal mothers from California who chose not to vaccinate their
children, and even called the measles outburst Les Measlesable, a spin off of the classic musical
Les Miserables. Since the topics discussed on these false shows are often based upon real life
instances, it is difficult for an individual to distinguish which source is creditable, if any.
Through sarcasm, cynicism, parody, and irony, the show can impart a kind of information
inappropriate and unavailable to conventional news outlets (Zinser, 371). Another way Jon
Stewart confuses his viewers is when he brings a real author who recently has published a novel
and discuses his work in a serious and professional manner. This portion of his performance has
me scratching my head about what is in fact true and false. The fact that these outlets take real
current topic and satirize them for comedy purposes creates confusion about the real current
issues.
Since the information provided by fake news is simply untrue it results in uneducated and
falsely informed individuals. Regardless of age and education if an individual believes that a
story is the truth they will trust it. This position can lead to larger issues. If those individuals
start spreading what they believe to be the truth they will misinform more people creating greater
troubles for truthful media stations. There is also this idea that if the news says its true it must
be. A famous time magazine poll even found Stewart to be Americas most trusted newscaster
(Christopher Zara). Which most of us know is completely absurd since his show is comprised of
false information. Since these false productions are designed like real news show individuals can

Reid 3
easily get pulled into thinking it is the truth. The Daily Show is comparable to the set of FOX
News, so it can easily be mistaken for realistic news.
False media programs have been successful over the years because of comical and
entertaining content. Even though it is false information people are receiving, they still cannot
get enough of the humor. Jon Stewart has mastered the technique of gaining followers and
ratings with The Daily Show, and gives individuals the humorous news that they want to hear
even though it is false. His type of humor undermines American politics by turning everything
into a joke and a source of mockery (Christopher Zara). Individuals now would rather be
entertained than informed in todays society. This idea is exactly why fake satirical shows are so
popular. Real news media is beginning to see a decline because people no longer care about what
is really happening. They would rather be nave about the truth, or just watch The Daily Show
to become informed.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has been a popular news station for many years.
With humorous and laughable comedy the show gained positive ratings for viewers, and has
continued to be a forerunner in the news world. Even with its content being false individuals still
love to be entertained. For an informed individual The Daily Show serves as their daily dose
of satire about Americas issues, but for an uneducated viewer this is their reality. The fake
media shows are extremely entertaining to myself, however I also make sure that I am an
informed citizen about real issues before I watch it to avoid confusion. The Daily Show could
be your tool to help you wind down after a long day, or it could be nightly news. I believe that
while fake news shows have been gaining popularity they lead to ill informed individuals and
questions concerning the truth.

Reid 4
Works Cited

Graff, Gerald. They Say I Say with readings. Second ed. New York: Norton, n.d. Print.

Zara, Christopher. "Jon Stewart's 'Fake' News Legacy: Good or Bad For American Discourse."
International Times. N.p., 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com>.