"The Daily Show" will soon be returning with a new host: South African comedian Trevor Noah. While Trevor Noah will have large comedic shoes to fill, there is no doubt with time he will find his own unique style and will evolve alongside the show. Every satirical news show that has begun after "The Daily Show" takes, at the least, a few dozen episodes to find its niche. It even took Jon Stewart a while to build a loyal and devoted audience; in the end, "The Daily Show" and its counterparts have created a way for millennials to keep up with the news while having a (somewhat) good time doing it.
There are some who claim getting news from a 30-minute comedy show is a preposterous notion. While these should not be an individual’s lone source of news, these programs provide interesting perspectives, or at least serve as compact refreshers on current issues.
John Oliver has been able to create a show which thrives off of 20-minute segments on issues you did not even think posed problems in the world. For a generation that gets entertainment from seven-second videos, there is power in the fact that John Oliver is able to retain an audience for that long of a time each week.
The argument also crumbles when you look into what it takes to make these types of shows. Comedians and their writers can’t rely solely on being hilarious, as they must also have a constant eye on the news as well as a critical and comprehensive understanding of the issues in order to make sense of what it all means.
Another reason our generation is flocking to comedic journalism is mainstream media is currently failing at its job to inform the citizenry. Newspapers are migrating online and increasingly becoming on par with BuzzFeed with their click-bait articles. Meanwhile, the 24-hour news cycle tries to constantly create and extend news where there is no substance to be found. Things which would have been non-issues are now the top of the headlines in order to fill a break between commercials. The three main U.S. channels each have crippling flaws which render each of them ineffective. CNN will spend hours on graphs and simulations of events on what could have happened instead of actually explaining what happened. Fox News, and MSNBC to a lesser extent, creates further political polarization by claiming to be fair and balanced while at the same time pushing conservative or liberal talking points.
There are good journalists in these institutions, but they are ultimately drowned out by the agendas set by their respective channels.
The model for the funny newsman does not seem to be leaving anytime soon. Stephen Colbert is continuing his political coverage but leaving his boisterous conservative persona at home.
John Oliver continues to have the so-called "John Oliver effect" where organizations take action because topics on the show prompt new awareness of an issue followed by newly sparked dialogue. Larry Wilmore provides great discussion with his round-table segments while also providing point of view as a black American. Even Fox News has attempted to get into the comedy news business by giving Greg Gutfeld, a popular comedian on FNC, his own show.
Trevor Noah will have a lot of competition upon his arrival, but after all, competition breeds quality.
Kevin Foster is a UF political science senior. His column appears on Thursdays.
