By Sean Higgins, Special to the Carolinian and Director of Spartan T.V.

Published in print Apr. 22, 2015

Unless you live under a rock, cannot afford cable or avoid all things Internet, you probably heard that Jon Stewart, longtime host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, is stepping down sometime later this year after 16 years behind the desk. Many believe Stewart was the show’s only host, but he actually took over for Craig Kilborn in 1999 and few could predict how much of an impact “The Daily Show” would have on our social and political discourse.

I interviewed Dr. Geoffrey Baym, the head of UNCG’s media studies department and author of “From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News,” on the social impact of “The Daily Show”. Dr. Baym believes that in a post 9/11-world there was a “constriction of what the media could say” and “The Daily Show” became an “oppositional platform” to the Bush Administration.

Stewart has stated various times that he is merely a comedian who hosts a comedy show, which is not untrue considering “The Daily Show” helped fuel the careers of Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrel, Ed Helms, Rob Corddry, Rob Riggle and John Oliver, to name a few.

Dr. Baym believes this comedic edge is a contributing factor to why “The Daily Show” not only became popular but important, saying, “Historically…satire always been a really important way people can articulate critical comment and get away with it.”

This certainly worked for “The Daily Show” as they were able to openly question many of the choices of the Bush Administration when the “real” journalists were afraid of coming off as “un-American.”

“The Daily Show” deserves praise for the critical spotlight it placed on the news industry itself, taking many of the common tropes of news reporting and exaggerating them to comical levels. One particular target is “Fox News,” which seemed relieved to hear Jon Stewart was stepping down. “He was their most persistent critic” Dr. Baym said in response to a few of the shots the “Fox News” anchors took at Stewart after he announced his retirement.

“The Daily Show” set itself apart from its predecessors with a focus on politics and policy. The show deconstructs the news of the day and repackages the information into a much more consumable form. The show also provides academics, scientists and politicians an avenue to an audience they may not be able to reach otherwise.

Dr. Baym maintains that “The Daily Show” was able to succeed because of Stewart’s dynamic talents as host, being able to “buddy up” and “fawn over” actors and actresses while also being able to engage politicians and scholars with thought-provoking, intelligent conversation. 

Jon Stewart was an invaluable asset to a show that provided a necessary voice during an era where people were afraid to speak out against the policies of the government. Stewart brought authenticity and earnestness to the desk every night, and all of his criticisms came from a place that was “deeply passionate” and “patriotic,” according to Dr. Baym.

There is no doubt that the show will change in his absence, but the current state of media has forever been changed by his presence— something that will surely be missed.