Jon Stewart is bothered by the mainstream news because of broadcast companies coordinated attempts to spread biased political agendas.
Specific narratives are established because the media gives power to perceived truths.
Stewart says, “We are in trouble because rarely, has there been an institution that has such a distance between its aspirations and its execution.”
The media keeps informing us of how necessary they are to our survival. Knowledge keeps us free, but the media broadcasts irrelevant information in relation to a story so it undermines a part of what journalism is and that is to report stories that are relevant.
Jon Stewart: ‘Tonight, we are talking about the news media’
Stewart categorized mainstream news as the collective, liberal corporate media and right-wing corporate media. Right-wing corporate media believes they are the perpetrators of truth and justice and the guardians of our democratic republic. The liberal corporate media is effective.
Right-wing corporate media will push back on ideas such as critical race theory because of how progressive it is and left-wing corporate media will do the opposite.
The goal for this episodic podcast hosted by Stewart, “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” is to show how effective the media is at accomplishing their goals of pushing a specific narrative.
Critical race theory during Trump’s first term
Christopher Rufo, contributor editor of City Journal, spoke about critical race theory’s problematic effects on the U.S. and how it is an example of a narrative being pushed by the news.
Stewart sarcastically refuted this by saying teaching critical race theory in schools isn’t easily considered problematic, but then said, “I’m kidding.”
Critical race theory is problematic by its nature because of how theoretical it is and how nuanced it can be regarding the education system.
Stewart showed a clip of Rufo speaking about how critical race theory has intersected in every institution of the federal government. Rufo called on President Donald Trump to issue an immediate executive order to rip the concept of critical race theory from its “root.”
The segment occurred Sept. 1, 2020, and his words echoed expediently all the way to Sept. 17, 2020, where Trump said in a speech: “Students in our universities are inundated with critical race theory. This is a Marxist doctrine holding that America is a wicked and racist nation.”
The live audience groans at the clip Stewart showed of Trump’s speech about critical race theory. Stewart joked about how uncharismatic the tone of Trump’s voice was during the video.
“Of course, you can’t always rely on a president binge watching your show and writing down whatever you tell him to do so in this new age of Biden, right-wing media had to work a little harder [on pushing the narrative of critical race theory].”
Right-wing mainstream media during Biden’s presidency
The show displayed clips of people pushing back on the idea of critical race theory.
They were the following:
- “Kids across America are being force fed the critical race theory – poison.”
- “I don’t want Marxists, I don’t want communists teaching my kid.”
- “Complain vocally, loudly,” in reference to first-graders’s at New York City’s Dalton School were shown a video that mentioned masturbation
- A headline that read critical race theory being not based in reality with protesters shouting “shame on you!”
- A parent opposed to critical race theory calling supporters of the theory racist
- A broadcaster telling the audience how parents are fed up with the idea of redefining indoctrination
- “I don’t think I’ve seen something spur up with so much passion out of the grassroots.”
Stewart proclaimed right-wing media outlets started the pushback on critical race theory and conveyed their message to their audience with no accountability.
Critical race theory was banned in a multitude of schools all over the U.S. Florida even passed legislation in 2022 making it illegal to teach racism in U.S. history classes.
A broadcaster on Fox News said “we were the only channel that covered critical race theory and that became a big issue.”
Stewart said, “If you’re going to battle this coordinated effort, political and media together, we’re gonna need a hero, a hero brave enough to heave the call of society in grave danger of succumbing to CRT panic. Who’s that hero?”
Stewart referred to journalists being that hero.
Stewart displayed various clips of broadcasters talking about the importance of journalism because it calls for change by shining a light in dark corners and holding those in power accountable.
He displayed a commercial. Focusing on phrases like “knowing empowers us,” “knowing helps us decide” and “knowing keeps us free,” to preserve the idea of democracy in the U.S.
What’s so bad about critical race theory?
Any backlash against critical race theory comes from a place of morality.
Someone would ask themselves: Am I a bad person for being a proclaimed racist? Does reaping the benefits of white privilege make me a bad person?
A parent, Tatiana Ibrahim, who opposed critical race theory referenced these ideas in her passionate monologue to New York’s Board of Education. She said teachers were teaching students, including her daughter, how to feel about police officers, the LGBTQIA+ community and black people.
Her daughter was told if you don’t agree with the lifestyle of homosexuals, then you are homophobic. The definition of homophobia is a negative attitude towards homosexuals.
Not agreeing with a lifestyle of anyone is adjacent to negativity. Yes, if you don’t agree with the lifestyle of a homosexual, then you are homophobic, but it’s not a bad thing.
Therein lies the problem. You’re not a bad person if you don’t agree with someone else, or an idea of some sort.
Ibrahim also mentioned how her daughter shouldn’t be taught about homophobia because other people don’t know about their family values and ideals.
America has more diverse lifestyles regarding gender, sexuality and race than nearly any other country on earth. Shouldn’t our youth be taught this so they can be aware and support those lifestyles?
We need to teach the youth how to problem solve. Not teaching them about homophobia diminishes that idea. How can we support the LGBTQIA+ community, or any other community of minorities, if we’re not aware of the opposing side’s argument?
Ibrahim mentioned how her daughter’s grandfather was a police officer, so it was confusing to her daughter when people kept repeating the same phrase, “all cops are bad,” during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
This “indoctrination” of her daughter to promote fairness conflicts with her own ideals and took an emotional toll on her family. Ibrahim mentioned how the books her daughter was given to read for school were racist.
Her frustration was the books told readers, including her daughter, that if you’re black then it’s okay to throw a tantrum to get what you want. As opposed to not looking at someone based on the color of their skin and encouraging self-made success.
That perspective is not based in reality.
We all judge each other based on the color of our skin. People stereotype others based on assumptions from their own past experiences. That’s just human nature.
No, it’s not okay for a black person to throw a tantrum when they don’t get what he or she wants, but context matters.
Why is that black person throwing a tantrum?
This idea aligns with why black people protested and looted buildings after any number of police brutality incidents. We are essentially throwing “tantrums” to get what we want to end the killing of black people at the hands of the police.
One of the books her daughter read, “Ron’s Big Mission,” is a fictionalized story in the 1950s. She said students believe the story is actually occurring in the present day. In the book, a child was denied a library card because he was black. White children were allowed access to library cards. It’s a fictionalized story, so why would that be happening today?
There should be a focus in our schools to teach our youth how to use critical thinking and be more aware of the world around us.
It would have helped if the superintendent of schools and Ibrahim actually had a meeting to talk about her frustrations with the schools’ curriculum. That did not happen. Even Fox News tried to gain some insight into their curriculum with no response.
If both parties did meet, they could have reached a common ground around teaching children that if you don’t agree with a particular lifestyle it doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person.
However, what if they couldn’t reach a common ground? Is that why they didn’t meet with her?
The incorporation of black stories being taught in schools is beneficial to our youth because they can learn about black culture. This idea is nuanced because it would have to align with how the media itself portrays black culture.
The superintendent of schools didn’t meet with Ibrahim because they couldn’t think of any alternatives other than not teaching about black culture.
Mainstream media is too narrative focused
In 2017, President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey rather than risk the incident being exposed.
The Department of Justice revealed they appointed a special counsel to oversee the FBI investigation of the Russia meddling and possible collusion. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller led the investigation.
Stewart called the delivery of this report by ABC News exceptional.
There would be more outlets also reporting that Mueller and his counsel would be secretive to highlight how well they investigated the Russian meddling incident.
Stewart displayed a man expressing nicknames for Mueller that his agents called him on MSNBC.
“Let the overplaying of the media hand commence!” Stewart said.
There would be more clips of outlets reiterating similar messages of how well Mueller will investigate the Russian probe such as the following:
- “If you do have something to hide, Mueller is probably the last person you want investigating you.”
- “Bob Mueller is gonna investigate this aggressively, and if there’s and if there’s any wrongdoing, he’s going to find it.”
- “The Republic just got a chance of saving itself.”
Stewart’s response to those clips was: “We’re not looking for a child of prophecy, we need a competent prosecutor working diligently to find the facts and we don’t need you narrating and overblowing, elevating the stakes of every moment.”
Then, Stewart displayed more clips from different outlets like CNN that conveyed the message of the Russia-Trump administration situation being bigger than the Watergate scandal.
“…certainly the coverage of it will be,” Stewart said to his dismay.
Stewart’s annoyance is the repetitive messages about how secretive the special counsel is supposed to be while investigating the Russia-U.S. election probe. The broadcast commonly dropped buzzwords like “bombshell” when any update arose such as when Mueller had a list of questions for President Trump.
An prime example was the BuzzFeed report Trump directed Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, to lie to Congress about the Moscow Tower Project — a claim denied by the White House. The problem Stewart had with this report is the reiteration of “what ifs” by different outlets.
There’s no point in covering hypotheticals. We don’t need to know about a hypothetical because it may not happen or relate to the actual story.
CNN even covered Mueller not leaving his work place for lunch as he usually does. Outlets such as CNN and MSNBC reiterated the same message of “walls closing in” as Mueller’s investigative team were finding out the truth about Russia’s electoral integrity situation.
“The news media promised, promised it was going to be a finale to remember,” Stewart said.
Stewart displayed clips from MSNBC that said the following:
- “Now, there is talk of indicting the president. Now, there is talk of jail time for the president.”
- “This is going to be earth-shattering. There’s no way this is going to be one of the most significant events in the history of the United States.”
- “Anybody in the Trump family, extended family, would be in the final act.”
- “People might go to jail for the rest of their lives.”
“If true,” Stewart said.
The redacted Mueller report was released to the public, but to Stewart’s annoyance it was very underwhelming because CNN and MSNBC essentially told its audience to print out the report.
“You finally have breaking news and I have to get it myself.”
Stewart showed outlets reiterating the similar messages of the report being released to the public and some commentators even read excerpts from it.
Stewart pointed to Jeff Glor from CBS Evening News asking his interviewee who can claim victory in the report.
“You motherfuckers spent two years filled with breaking bombshells, and urgent explosions, and T-ed up a season finale for the ages. A noose, tightened closed wall, family-styled jail-gasm, and all we got was a fucking book report that we had to print ourselves.”
Stewart called it the worst finale ever.
The attorney general sent a summary of the Mueller Report to Congress a month earlier prior to its full release. The breaking news of the detailed Mueller Report would have been delivered more dramatically, Stewart said.
President Trump and his administration were ultimately cleared of the allegations.
“The craziest part is that throughout the entire time, great reporters were doing impressive work, but you wouldn’t know it because it was smothered in [irrelevant coverages of the story].”
Mainstream news media is only mainstream because so many people watch it, or have watched it historically. The only way to grab their attention is by dramatizing stories for enticing narratives that are entertaining.
If mainstream news media was focused on factual stories, unbiased perspectives and ideals, it would get boring over time.
Conversations and the free exchange of ideas are what makes the world change.
If all mainstream media outlets were not dramatized and instead, focused on other issues, like police brutality rates in the U.S., would the world be a better place?
Human beings are not a monolith, so we probably won’t all care about stories on critical race theory and Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
I agree with Jon Stewart’s problem with the media, but is the alternative sustainable?
Featured image: Photo by cottonbro studio
Edited by Kennedy Owens & James Sutton
