Daily Show host Jon Stewart is now America's most trusted newscaster, according to an online poll conducted by Time magazine.
The poll, conducted the poll in the wake of Walter Cronkite's death, had Stewart beating out Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson with 44 percent of the vote.
Williams finished second with 29 percent, and Gibson and Couric finished third and fourth, respectively, with 19 and 7 percent. (The results are also broken out state-by-state, and the Huffington Post has provided a good rundown on which anchors are most popular in various regions of the country.)
So what does it say about the current state of TV news that the most trusted anchor is a comedian? While some, like Stewart, will likely take it as a sign of our downfall as a society, the result shouldn't be surprising.
Stewart proves every night that he's one of the few journalists willing to ask the hard questions and call politicians on their BS. When it comes to exposing hypocrisy, holding politicians accountable, and getting at the core truths behind the spin, there is no better source than The Daily Show.For a prime example, check out this recent clip of Jon Stewart ripping apart the wingnuts who claim Obama is not an American citizen, and mocking the politicians and media figures who have given legitmacy to the ridiculous "birther movement."
Stewart is generally the first to say that he's just an entertainer looking for laughs. But everyone knows that if you want honest news, you go to Comedy Central, whereas if you want straight comedy, you turn on FOX News.
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Comments
Congratulations, Jon. It’s sad, but I must agree. I don’t trust the news anymore.
Can’t wait to hear what Stephen Colbert has to say about this.
While I do dearly love Jon Stewart and completely agree with this, we still have to remember that it was an *online* poll. The results aren’t surprising at all, considering that Jon’s fanbase consists mostly of tech-savvy youngsters (whilst a majority of the other newscaster’s fans are people who can’t use the internet to save their lives.)
Having said that, I still believe that Jon deserves this title, as he does ask hard-hitting questions and calls out people on their BS. (But what does that make of Colbert then? Maybe he’ll win the poll for “Newscaster with the biggest, baddest brass cajones”
When the mainstream media is bought and paid for by corporate America, why would you expect anyone to believe the anchors.
Take a good look at how they address the health care issue and the single pay program.