Entertaining Politics: Satiric Television and Political Engagement (Communication, Media, and Politics)

In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises. In an age of Truthiness, fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth, and in the process, questioning the legitimacy of news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provides for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since Entertaining Politics' initial release. [Storm] Contents 8 Preface to the Second Edition 10 Acknowledgments 14 PART I. TELEVISION AND POLITICS TODAY 16 Chapter 1. The Changing Face of Politics on Television 18 Chapter 2. Rethinking Television’s Relationship to Civic Engagement 36 PART II. ENTERTAINING POLITICAL TALK 56 Chapter 3. From Insiders to Outsiders: The Transformation of Political Talk on Television 58 Chapter 4. New Political Television: Questioning News Media’s Regime of Truth 78 Chapter 5. The Competing Senses of Political Insiders and Outsiders 108 Chapter 6. Changing the Conversation: The Daily Show’s Interviews and Interrogations 126 PART III. FAKING IT (FOR REAL) IN NEWS AND TALK 160 Chapter 7. Muckraking Through Fake Newsmagazines: Michael Moore’s Satire TV 162 Chapter 8. Fake News vs. Real News: The Case of The Daily Show and CNN 182 Chapter 9. Faux Real and Faux Play: The Parody of Punditry in The Colbert Report 200 PART IV. AUDIENCES/FANS/CITIZENS 220 Chapter 10. Viewer Engagement Beyond Information Acquisition: Celebrity, Talk, and Play 222 Chapter 11. The Expanding and Contested Boundaries of New Political Television 250 Appendix. Methodology for Audience Research 268 Notes 272 Index 308 About the Author 328 Sourced by [Storm] 326 In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey P. Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises. In an age of "truthiness." fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth and, in the process, questioning the legitimacy of the news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provides for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since the initial release of Entertaining Politics

In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises. In an age of Truthiness, fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth, and in the process, questioning the legitimacy of news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provides for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since Entertaining Politics' initial release.