Originally published on Examiner.com.
When Brian Williams appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 
earlier this week, the two TV titans tensely tangled but apparently left laughing. Their confrontation serves as a lesson in how we get our news these days and the evolving role of television for delivering news and information.
Williams apparently believed he was there to discuss the death and career of Walter Cronkite. Stewart had other ideas. Earlier in the program Stewart showed excerpts from emails sent by news programs, including NBC's Meet the Press, to South Carolina's governor, Mark Sanford, in efforts to get an interview with him. When you watch the video (embedded below) you can see for yourself how it got so tense.
As the audience for TV news declines, programs that mix comedy and news reach an audience less inclined to watch traditional news programs. They also seriously, though humorously, critique more straight laced entries including network evening newscasts and cable news programs. In their own way, Stewart's The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Real Time with Bill Maher, serve an important purpose that keeps us laughing while conveying hard truths.
When Stewart took on CNBC's Jim Cramer, for failing to anticipate the financial crisis, viewers got it. Major figures in government and media continue to appear with Stewart which means they usually get a fair hearing and the opportunity to make their case. Stewart would come off as a bully if those he picked on were not up to the task; to his credit, Stewart's targets are usually pretty tough. And this week, Brian Williams held his own and displayed a sense of humor and timing worthy of his host. Not bad for two guys from New Jersey who now talk to each of us, almost every night, when we choose to listen and watch.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Brian Williams | ||||
| ||||
No comments:
Post a Comment