Watching The Fake News
By Linda Thieman

Somewhere – two or three different places, to be more precise – I read that a large number of Americans get their news from The Daily Show on the cable channel Comedy Central.  This is an amazing “factoid” since Comedy Central actually advertises their nightly newscast as “Fake News,” as opposed to Fox News, which pretends they are telling the truth.

So, taking my responsibility to Blog for Iowa readers very seriously, I decided to do a little investigation – to go into it with my eyes wide open, as it were – and subject myself to convention coverage from several different media outlets.

First, I watched the convention coverage on Headline News.  It lasted two minutes and then switched to something even more gory and disgusting, so I turned it off.

I considered watching further coverage on another network, to really get the lay of the land and give my investigation a fair shake, but decided to have some cheese and crackers instead.

Then, I watched The Daily Show for a full ten minutes.  Hands down, the coverage on Comedy Central far surpassed that of all the other channels... I mean, that one other channel I watched.

Here are some of the highlights from the first night’s convention coverage, called “Indecision 2004,” on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Jon Stewart, Anchor:  What did you make of [Monday night’s] focus on September 11th?

Stephen Colbert, Senior Convention Analyst:  Well, remember, Jon, 9/11 and its aftermath bring to mind a time of unprecedented national unity when, from the crucible of an unthinkable national tragedy, there arose a steely patriotism transcending ideology and partisanship.  That stuff kills in the swing states.  Those NASCAR dads suck it down in a feeding tube.

Stewart:  So, you had no problem with it.

Colbert:  Jon, I found it “crass-tastic.”  The message was delivered by Republicans’ most popular figures, John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani, two men of bravery and leadership, qualities the pResident would very much like associated with him.

Stewart:  Well, Stephen, let me ask you this.  What is [Tuesday night’s] theme?

Colbert:  [Tuesday night], Jon, they took [Monday night’s] theme, a Bush victory would bring closure to the 9/11 families, and built on it with a theme of compassion.  We heard from widows, orphans, the enfeebled, the limbless – all raising their voice in support of the pResident, whose compassion, like the Olympics, triumphantly springs forth every four years.  You see, it all goes with the overall theme of this convention: a time for unmitigated gall.

Stewart:  But Stephen, to be perfectly fair, aren’t all political conventions manipulative?

Colbert:  No, Jon, to call this convention “manipulative” is to call Marcel Marceau “a little quiet.”  These people are artists, operating at the peak of their abilities.  For example, take Thursday night’s theme: f--- you, what are you going to do about it?