Is the fake news the real news?!
Shows like The Daily Show and The Rick Mercer Report use humor and wit to not only present the news but to challenge messages found in the media. In a way satirical news reporting can be seen as a form of mainstream culture jamming. Like media activists they point out how the messages in the media can affect us.
“Culture jamming is understood as a mode of resistance to the norms and conventions of mass culture that exposes and opposes the media’s underlying power structures and ideological messages.” (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, Media and Society, pg 213)
The main way satirical news acts as culture jammers is by encouraging social change. By using humor to critique what is presented in the media viewers are encouraged to think about how the media affects their lives.
“The objectives of culture jamming often include consciousness raising (raising awareness of social and political issues) as well as using the media to criticise the media and dominant culture.” (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, Media and Society, pg 214)
I know the Rick Mercer Report likes to critique the Canadian Government. People who watch his critiques are not only entertained but more informed about Canadian politics. Increased awareness in political issues can only benefit society. I recently watched a video of The Rick Mercer Report where he explained how the Canadian Government works. He explained all the different parties and systems involved. What I found particularly interesting was when he talked about Stephen Harper. Stephen Harper and the conservative party fabricated Canada’s financial situation and said that it was in great shape. However other members of parliament weren’t so sure about this claim. This caused him to lose the faith of the House of Commons. Without the faith of the House of Commons the dissolution of parliament was imminent. Fearful of losing job Stephen Harper told the truth and revealed that Canada was going to have an $87 billion dollar deficit. It’s kind of sad but I was never one to take interest in Canadian politics. Watching this video made me more informed. I found it really cool that the Canadian Government has a failsafe, that plans exist in case the Prime Minster would do or say anything stupid or out of line.
If you want to watch the video click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vqyfY7cZPk
I mentioned that I never paid too much attention into Canadian Politics. However shows like the Rick Mercer Report makes the news more accessible. Incorporating humor draws in a wider audience. This in turn increases awareness. People who don’t typically watch the news might respond better if humor was thrown in. I think that this is especially true in younger audiences. Examples of satirical news that incorporates humor can be seen in news paper comics and cartoon strips. They usually make fun of current political and social issues. Below is a cartoon from the Toronto Star that shows how the antics of Toronto mayor Rob Ford have become the subject of many late night talk shows. The cartoon portrays him as a funny crack fairy but I also noticed how it incorporated recent accusations of alcoholism. Cartoons and comics are an easy form of media to recognize and understand. Putting political and social issues into cartoons allows them to reach a wider audience.
Like everything else satirical news has its place in the world. I really like how it acts as a mainstream culture jammer. However I don’t think that it should replace conventional news reporting. Both forms have advantages and disadvantages. Conventional news reporting collects news from all around the world and presents it to its audience. However the validity of their stories are sometimes put into question. Satirical news reporting critiques messages found in the media. However making something controversial can also make it more desirable (kind of like Miley Cyrus?). There is a place and time for both forms of news reporting.
Fun Fact: Miley Cyrus was originally named Destiny Hope Cyrus. The origin of the name Miley comes from her childhood nickname Smiley. She got this nickname because she used to smile all the time. 😀
Sources
O’Shaughnessy, M., Stadler, J. (2012). Media and Society, 5th ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorial_cartoon.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2009-04/23/content_7707388.htm
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