A different view

Jon Stewart, the Last Great Hope?

It's funny to listen to Joe Scarborough whining about being treated unfairly on the Daily Show. I'd guess that's because Jon has absolutely no respect for Joe, a discredited ex-Congressman.

But with Dan Abrams turning Scarborough Country into a celebrity news and gossip show, Hardball wafting whichever way the wind blows, and tens of thousands of viewers leaving heavily biased Fox News shows (though excellent report Shepard Smith continues to do well), could shows like Comedy Central's Daily Show be our last real source of uncomfortable news?

While Jon Stewart denies being a news show, he does report an interesting amount of real news and hosts interviews with real players on the political front. And the more embarrassing the better. Yes, he has the God machine and other silly skits, but there's often a bit of truth even here.

The regular cable news channels are spending more of their news time reporting gossip like Paris Hitlon and Britney Spears' partying, Trump's media blitz on Miss USA Tara Conners, and comedian Michael Richards awkard rant (which sounds very much like a bi-polar episode to me).

Add to that topics they stay away from because either their viewers would be offended or the FCC is holding hearings the broadcast companies want to go their way, it seems like little real journalism still gets reported on broadcast news.

This last week I had to switch over to NPR or PBS to get anything besides news on the missing mountain climbers. While I was interested and hoped for their recovery, there's other news to report that really does affect my life.

So Joe, if you want to keep viewers do what Jon and Keith are doing. Report some real news, take a stand, or do some real investigating.

But please, stop the whining.

Labels: daily show scarborough country investigative reporting

posted by don1one @ 10:49 AM