Satire, Punch Lines, and the Nightly News: Untangling Media Effects on Political Participation

Abstract

Research often collapses programming like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Late Show, and The Tonight Show into one category of programming. However, recent research suggests that both the content and effects of viewing these programs differ. This study separates satire or parody and traditional late-night comedy to examine effects of viewing on political participation. Results suggest that viewing satire or parody has positive and significant effects on political participation through the mediator of political efficacy, as does viewing traditional TV news. However, this relationship is not borne out for viewers of traditional late-night comedy. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords:

• Comedy
• Humor
• Media Effects
• Political Communication
• Television

Notes

Note. N = 265. Confidence intervals are bias-corrected and accelerated. There are 1,000 bootstrap samples. The p value (*p < .05) indicates a statistically significant relationship, as the confidence interval does not include zero.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lindsay H. Hoffman

Lindsay H. Hoffman (PhD, The Ohio State University, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware.

Dannagal G. Young

Dannagal G. Young (PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware.