Mouthpiece of the Liberal Left?

Abstract

During the 2008 primary election cycle, Jon Stewart and his "fake" news program The Daily Show were often said to be little more than a leftist propaganda machine. These claims were problematic, because the charges were based neither on research nor on study of the show. Without empirical foundation, these stereotypes may have unethically skewed the public disposition regarding the program. This article uses content analysis to examine The Daily Show episodes pertaining to the selection of presidential nominees, considering newsworthiness, amount of coverage of each candidate, and the satire directed at them. The analysis dissects Stewart's comments and The Daily Show to determine not only their viability as a news source, but also to investigate the accusations of partisan coverage.

Keywords:

• media bias
• partisan media coverage
• political capability
• political communication
• political engagement
• soft news