Recently, a friend of mine, seemingly distraught, complained that Jon Stewart’s frequent summer vacations left him repeatedly bereft of meaningful political insight and general news information. I berated him for neglecting the legitimate media. I explained that Stewart is a comedian, not a news anchor — a wit, not a pundit. However, having doled out a seemingly appropriate reprimand, I realized that perhaps I had blamed the wrong person. Perhaps my friend was not at fault for relying on Stewart, but rather Stewart for failing to care for those who had become dependent on him. It seemed that in watching Stewart week after week, my friend and those like him had gone from simply looking at him through the glow of their TV or computer monitors to looking up to him. He had become much more than the host of a late-night talk show.
As students, this phenomenon should shock none of us. After semesters of exposure to a teacher, few among us can say that we have not come to rely on that person’s regular presence in our lives — not just for their knowledge. Since we’ve become attached to these teachers, a week without their wisdom is noticeable. But should we put such a (perhaps parental) burden onto these people, particularly Stewart? At what point do those that we look up to have to look back down at us? Does Jon Stewart have some sort of moral and professional obligation to the people who watch him to provide a service he did not initially set out to provide?
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press conducted a poll in 2007 that asked Americans to name the journalist they most admired. Stewart came in fourth, tied with news anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw of NBC, Dan Rather of CBS and Anderson Cooper of CNN. A 2009 poll by Time asked the question “Now that Walter Cronkite has passed on, who is America’s most trusted newscaster?” Jon Stewart, with 44 percent of the vote, beat out Brian Williams (29 percent), Charlie Gibson (19 percent), and Katie Couric (9 percent). Because my college-educated friend and so many Americans rely on Stewart for the news and trust him to provide it, perhaps he has a moral obligation to take up the reign as a consistent provider of reliable news. That is not to say that he need cease being a comedian, as the use of his wit is undoubtedly part of his appeal, but rather that he needs to make sure to deliver his act with consistency and accuracy. I recognize that the station that broadcasts “The Daily Show” is Comedy Central, not CNN. I simultaneously recognize, however, that with power and influence come responsibility.
Years ago, I had a teacher who often reminded students of their rightful place in his perceived social hierarchy. He had no reservations about making fun of a student’s comment or appearance. When asked, “Sir, why so mean?”, he would respond, “Whoever said I was nice?” Of course, nobody had. But they did not need to: It is vocationally implied that a teacher of children not be mean. It is, perhaps, the moral obligation of a teacher to be nurturing — they owe it to the people who look up to them. Because Americans look up and listen to Stewart to such a degree, he has increased responsibility that makes the dependent viewer less to blame.
It is important to note that Stewart makes it clear that he does not deliver accurate, unbiased news. It may be the case that this warning label is insufficient. A disclaimer cannot alleviate Stewart from taking the responsibility for the influence he wields. Since he fills a certain role in the minds of his viewers, he needs to live up to that image.
As Stewart often points out, legitimate news stations — especially Fox News — often report inaccurately. A discussion of general news biases is important but not relevant here. I do not condone the somewhat extreme predispositions of Fox News or MSNBC, but neither leaves room for the same level of cognitive dissonance that “The Daily Show” does; they deliver what is expected of them, consistently.
Yes, my friend needs to subscribe to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He, and many others, need to diversify the sources from which they draw information and craft opinions. Simultaneously, the people who hold the ears and minds of the masses and who help to influence views, owe it to them to “look back down” and fulfill expected roles. High school teachers ought to be nurturing, and Jon Stewart ought to deliver credible, consistent reporting. Stewart ought to mix fact and fiction very cautiously to avoid misinforming those that look up to him and take his word as truth. (And, in his absences, Stewart should hire a replacement host.)