Jon Stewart Named Most Trusted In News

1. TFT
   July 26th, 2009 at 11:24 pm

   I'm gonna blame the news media.

2. emmiline valentine
   July 26th, 2009 at 11:25 pm

   it speaks poorly of the news media.
   i think people find a guy who doesn't swallow any bullshit and is willing to practically spank all the other news outlets with comedy and honesty pretty damn refreshing.

   i mean, look at the media focus on useless crap like michael jackson's death and "are nick and jessica going to get back together?!" instead of important things like health care reform and the war in iraq/afghanistan-most "news" today is boring and petty.

   having long winded that all out- i totally love brain williams too.

3. Geekazoid
   July 26th, 2009 at 11:34 pm

   Give me Bill Maher anytime.

4. Peeves
   July 26th, 2009 at 11:40 pm

   Going with news media. Nothing wrong with making fun of people in the news so long as you don't lie about them. Now if it were Glenn Beck...

5. Cody
   July 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am

   Nothing like listening to people who tell you what you want to hear...

6. Cody
   July 27th, 2009 at 12:05 am

   I should point out that only 4 names appear to have been included in the poll and all are undeniably liberal. Any sensible person would realize that this is just another example of the media failing to represent both sides of the coin...hence my previous comment.

7. Miss Cellania
   July 27th, 2009 at 12:21 am

   What's the deal with Kentucky and Alaska? Did no one from those states participate in the survey? Or did they all say "Duh, I don't know"?

8. Miss Cellania
   July 27th, 2009 at 12:22 am

   Oh, now I see, there were ties in those states.

9. Ben B.
   July 27th, 2009 at 12:35 am

   I think Stewart earned that recognition honestly. The traditional US media aren't to be trusted, it's as simple as that.

10. striatic
    July 27th, 2009 at 12:51 am

    remember that this is "most trusted", rather than "best".

    i'd say that i trust stewart more than williams, because he is more free to speak his mind given the format of the show.

    but that doesn't mean i think stewart provides the most accurate information on a consistent basis, just that he wears his bias on his sleeve.

    the network anchors on this list are both less trustworthy [somewhat] *and* less biased than jon stewart. they are better newscasters.

    cable news anchors - on the other hand - from msnbc, cnn and fox alike, are almost universally horrible. they are way less trustworthy than anyone on this list, and far more biased [in my opinion].

11. SenorMysterioso
    July 27th, 2009 at 12:54 am

    Look out for Williams Giant head Stewart!

    I get all my news from Weekend Update and The Onion

12. CM
    July 27th, 2009 at 12:57 am

    I trust Jon Stewart more than any other news anchor too.

    The networks don't understand why people trust Stewart though, and will make some dumb ratings-based suggestion that maybe if they add humor to their broadcasts, they will be considered more trustworthy (just like Jon)!

    Of course, that's why network news fails. His cable comedy show does a better job of holding politicians feet to the fire than news organizations that supposedly have entire departments dedicated to doing actual reporting! People want someone to call "BS" on political figures who say one thing and then say the exact opposite a year later. Sure, Stewart makes some very inappropriate jokes, but there's actual news in there that you won't get from CNN or the other "trusted news sources".

    Especially in light of the death of Walter Cronkite, I hope that TV news takes a hard look at themselves and thinks about what news was meant to be - a service for the PUBLIC GOOD - and not 20 minutes of filler between ads for Viagra, Prilosec, Detrol, and Ensure.

13. anon78
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:05 am

    At first I wanted to insult the intelligence of Daily Show viewers. Then I realized no one more credible instantly springs to mind (if you control for the comedy factor, I suppose, well, okay, maybe it's news?). That said, Matthew Miller (Left Right and Center), the casts of Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Tavis Smiley; they all have earned my trust.

    I think people need to understand the difference between viewpoint and trust. While not everyone shares my viewpoint on everything (Mr. Smiley, for instance), I trust numerous people when it comes to presenting me the whole story. I've never really thought that "just the facts" is possible when a human is conveying the info (any info, not just the news). So long as someone is honest with his viewpoint, and doesn't let it otherwise interfere with his work, I trust the guy (male pronouns chosen for simplicity). Sadly, NPR is the only reliable source of such people. Everyone else is either too simple or too slanted to earn my trust.

14. Alex
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:37 am

    What? No Rush? Darn the liberal news media bias!

15. zavatone
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:38 am

    Stewart and Colbert are the ones left with the balls to say it like it is and if it is shit, make fun of it like the bullshit FUBAR that it is.

    They are comedians about it because the sad truth is that the reality is all too tragic.

    Think of Obama now, having to deal with 8 years that got us 1 TRILLION dollars in debt and the news is reporting about him possibly looking at a woman's ass? WHO... REALLY... CARES... ?

    The news is FUBAR. Trust those with the balls to call it like it is.
    - Zav

16. abdulhamid
    July 27th, 2009 at 3:38 am

    NPR has replaced religion as the opiate of the masses.

17. ted
    July 27th, 2009 at 4:07 am

    Nice guy, and funny sometimes, but I can only watch him in little bits and pieces before he gets dull.

18. San Diego Bath Remodleing
    July 27th, 2009 at 4:29 am

    What a joke. LOL

19. San Diego Bath Remodeling
    July 27th, 2009 at 4:30 am

    Dang I can't even spell now

20. Datou
    July 27th, 2009 at 5:11 am

    Be curious to see the sample data on who exactly was polled. Probably mostly liberals- especially anyone who reads a pathetic rag like Time magazine. Even so, anyone who thinks Jon Stewart or Bill Maher are "news people" of any sort really needs to wake up. They may be satirists or comedians but they are definitely NOT news people. Just shows how brain-washed and ignorant people are these days.

21. Ron Moses
    July 27th, 2009 at 6:21 am

    I see this as a case of "That's not saying much." Heck, I trust Stewart more than the other names on that list, and I wouldn't trust Stewart to tell me what time it is. It's like asking who you trust more to babysit your children, John Wayne Gacy, Ed Gein, or Gary Glitter. I guess I have to go with Gary on that one, but I wouldn't characterize it as a ringing endorsement.

22. Justin
    July 27th, 2009 at 7:43 am

    I love how people still refer to "the media" as if it is one giant conglomerate spouting the same "bias". So Fox news is now just another cog in the "liberal media?"

    What about the countless conservative radio shows out there or newspapers? And I couldn't even begin to count the number of conservative blogs/news websites that can be found on the internet.

    I really wish you guys would stop pretending like you have no where to turn for your "truth". The world is flooded with news outlets that cater to your taste/viewpoint.

    Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I like Jon Stewert and think he is funny, but I have never seen him as a trusted news source. They often twist the news story quite a bit in order to make it seem more funny. I don't blame them, and I think it's hilarious, but it's important to know the full story beforehand or you may become misinformed.

23. Jon Henshaw
    July 27th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Comedy is simply used to make the current state of affairs more palatable to listen to. The only thing that's unfortunate about getting your news from The Daily Show (and The Colbert Report for that matters) is that many people probably aren't smart enough to filter out the bias and the jokes from the actual news (and in most cases, the biting commentary.)

    I'll get my news from The Daily Show any day if it means that the alternative is 24 hours of hot air made to fill time, or the relentless reporting of every time a celebrity wipes their ass.

24. Another David
    July 27th, 2009 at 8:24 am

    While I also have my doubts as to the validity of this survey, don't be so quick to discount Jon. Yeah, he's a funny guy and he's on Comedy Central and all, but he's no joke. Jon Stewart is intelligent, cunning, powerful, and respected in the journalists' community.

    Remember that time Crossfire underestimated him? He laid the smackdown on them, and they got cancelled.

25. Matt
    July 27th, 2009 at 9:09 am

    Jon Stewart is a news man? Seriously? Does this make Tina Fey the most trusted woman in news reporting? I always thought Seth Meyers should be the most trusted face in news reporting.

26. Lnothing7
    July 27th, 2009 at 9:22 am

    there has always ALWAYS been a divide between generations
    OLD/young. Ifeel that john stewart is my generations walter croncite not necesarily because hes a great journalist, but because with all the mess i can feel the world is in. Stewart informs me and in a genuine manner

    now i would love to see that same poll but add glen becks name on the list or freakin hannity while your at it.
    now that would be an interesting map

    john stewart and colbert are hip, smart, and giving me news like everyone now a days is getting it.

    short sweet and to the piont

    i think certain" journalists" or "anchors" dont have a point or cant see one behind the spectacle

27. Tamahome Jenkins
    July 27th, 2009 at 9:51 am

    "I’m not sure if it speaks badly about Americans in general or about the state of our news media."

    I would say a little of both. People have to be entertained nowadays and the news media doesn't do that well.

28. brianch
    July 27th, 2009 at 10:18 am

    What is up with Iowa? I think someone is gaming the system. Every poll has Iowans thinking some ridiculous crap. The next poll has 75% of Iowans saying Bing is their favorite search engine. (!?!) I don't think 75% of Microsoft employees think Bing is their favorite search engine.

29. MadMolecule
    July 27th, 2009 at 10:39 am

    This "poll" is totally worthless. Time even says so right there on the page (in very faint type): "Note: Poll results are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those users who chose to participate."

    For one thing, for a survey to be valid, you've got to have a random sampling of the population whose opinions you're trying to gauge. For another, the story doesn't even tell you how the question was worded, which is critically important: Were they asked to pick their favorite of the four? Were they asked four individual yes-no questions, i.e., "Do you trust Katie Couric? Do you trust Charlie Gibson?" etc.? Were they only given these four choices, or were these the top vote-getters? This is about as scientific as a tarot reading.

    The headline should read something like, "People who read Time Magazine on-line and are willing to spend their time filling out an on-line poll are more likely to say they trust Jon Stewart than to say they trust Brian Williams, Katie Couric, or Charlie Gibson." I guess that's a bit unwieldy for a headline, though.

30. CJSchmidt
    July 27th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    "The world is flooded with news outlets that cater to your taste/viewpoint."

    I think that's part of the problem. I want to watch news that doesn't cater to anything but the facts. I consider myself moderately conservative and (attempting to) watch Fox News nearly brings me to violence. Stewart clearly isn't attempting to portray himself as fair and balanced, yet he still goes after both sides pretty regularly. He's also funny and willing to take risks that piss people off.

    I put my trust in NPR and the BBC. They may be slightly biased, but their primary goal is to provide the news, not eyeballs to advertisers. They're also willing to cover world events, not American Idol recaps.

31. Alex The Zombie
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    I have to blame both the news media and Americans themselves. The news media has seen a sad downturn in recent years and during the last few elections a lot of the bias has come to the forefront. Americans themselves have become complacent in their search of news and I think are latching on to Stewart's comedy as a sort of security blanket. I also think they are mistaking his ability to make fun of all sides of an argument for impartiality.

    That being sad, I enjoy Stewart's show and I'm a big fan. I just don't take it too seriously. I turn to BBC for real news.

32. Cody
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    @zavatone's "Think of Obama now, having to deal with 8 years that got us 1 TRILLION dollars in debt..."

    So you're obviously unaware of the 1 TRILLION additional dollars in national debt that we've acquired in only the past 6 months of the current administration?!? Dude, take off your blinders...

33. Gauldar
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    @CJSchmidt

    I agree, there's no such thing as a non-biased news source anymore. It depends on who they concider their target audiance, and who is writting their paychecks. I do feel that the best way to get news from a particular part of the world is to look at external sources, which have nothing to loose or gain when refering to it.

    @brianch

    Yeah... Whats up with that?

34. Morris
    July 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    I think Stewart and Colbert do a pretty good job at telling the news like it is. I listen to all news outlets from right to left. These guys are the only ones that constantly rag both sides.

35. Johnny Cat
    July 27th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    Remember, the main thrust of Stewart's comedy is pointing out the crappy coverage of the news by the "Big Networks." The over-the-top verbiage, the skewed viewpoints, and the tendency for them all to latch onto one word to describe an event/person.

36. NomoJews
    July 27th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    I think we need to get rid of all of the people like Jon Stewart. People like HIM and Seinfeld and those like THEM need to get out of America. Also we need to get rid of people like Kobe and Vick and everyone that looks like THEM. and get this country back to the way it should be, a WHITE AMERICA!!!!!

37. Mytake
    July 28th, 2009 at 1:49 am

    Jon Stewart is the opposite of trustworthy. People mistake laughs for truth and earnestness for lies sometimes.

38. Wade
    July 28th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    Who the hell watches the news???

39. Puffdoggie
    July 28th, 2009 at 8:59 am

    This poll is symptomatic of a change that has been going on in america for the last few decades. Humor, sound bites and belittling have taken the place of real discourse on issues. Politicians and media alike seldom analyze both sides of an issue. They mock and demean their opponents. I believe most americans form their opinions not based on any rational evaluation of the arguments but rather dependent upon the relative success of one side in making the other seem foolish or stupid. This represents a dumbing down of the population and more importantly of the electorate.

40. Sha
    July 28th, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Um, why isn't Jim Lehrer on this list?

41. Lacey
    July 28th, 2009 at 9:05 am

    Jon Stewart is a great journalist, modesty be damned. He'll tell you up and down that he's not a journalist, not a newsman, just the kid in the back of the class cracking jokes. That's BS, but I love him for the humility. Watch the interview with Jim Cramer. Best investigative reporting I've seen in years.

42. foo3081
    July 28th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    It's probably a good thing that Jon Stewart is 'the most trusted newscaster', since a 2007 Pew Research Study names viewers of The Daily Show/Colbert Report as the most knowledgeable of all news audiences. Fox News network came in almost last, just before the local and morning news.

    http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/16/daily-show-fox-knowledge/

43. Mic
    July 28th, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    LOL Rush? He isnt even a news correspondent. He has an opinion show and says things that shock people to get rating and more advertising. Dont ever confuse the two he has a show. hes no different than Howard Sterns.
    Just another shock jock, different schtick

44. KCanathema
    July 29th, 2009 at 1:47 am

    A shame that "trusted blogs" wasn't on this poll, since I find a few online sources to be superior to dinosaur media. As for the poll that foo points out, it'd probably be more informative (if less partisan and amusing) to read the entire report: http://people-press.org/report/319/public-knowledge-of-current-affairs -little-changed-by-news-and-information-revolutions.

45. Shain
    August 4th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    I'm not surprised, and I somewhat feel the same way. My main source of news is the Internet and Jon Stewart.

    Jon is the only person on TV openly admitting to me that he is about entertainment instead of real news, yet despite this he manages to deliver quite a bit more real news than most other news shows I've seen.

    It's not that he's spectacular, it's that the rest of the News Industry has done the same thing as he has, only they won't admit it. They still have this charade that they are delivering real news, when in reality they're delivering commercials and random soundbites without any attempt to portray what is being reported in any real context.

    Now that's just everyone as a whole, but now let's ask who's in the news I can really trust? 1. Most of the recognizable names in news aren't really journalists they're just TV/Radio Shock Jocks. 2. Once you take away the one sided Shock Jocks, there aren't very many names left, and all of them I can think of have failed majorly in the "Trust" department at one time or another.

    So, unfortunately, I really think that what was once a joke about the News Industry has actually shown how much of a joke the News Industry and the people in it really are.

    He shouldn't be the most trustworthy name in News, because at least he's still playing the Trust Worthy news man, and no one else is even doing that much.

46. Robert Riter
    August 7th, 2009 at 7:05 am

    I agree with most of the other posters; the mainstream media has basically devolved into putting on as many talking heads from extreme viewpoints as possible and letting them yell over each other while the station takes one side or the other. They all have. They report fluff stories and don't demand accuracy nor are they seriously critical of anything within our government.

    The reason John Stewart won is he deserves it, largely because - despite the admitted left-leaning of the show - TDS calls politicians, and other major figures from the news networks when they contradict themselves or blatantly lie. If a comedy show can do that, you'd think a real news outlet could, too - but they don't and won't.

    As a side note, while being viewed as a "left" show I can honestly say if you give them a shot, they are an equal opportunity critic. Many times they've landed on the Democrats, Obama and "left" news networks for melodrama and bull; the main reason is - weather anyone reading this likes to hear it or not - that they attack the right more is GOP and right-leaning programs tend to contradict themselves, lie and ignore proven facts far, far more than anyone else. Thus they open themselves to more attacks; it's not that both sides are perfect but the "right" seems way, way more brazen about it, willing to completely change their story interview to interview. Nothing more than that.

47. Daniel M
    August 11th, 2009 at 12:08 am

    It's the media.

    The international poll also voted in favor of Stewart.

    And I am sure that if a larger scale poll was to be made, the results would be the same.

    Why?

    Most networks are just trying to entertain, instead of deliver news.

    And networks like Fox are too busy with their sensationalist propaganda trying to bash on the current majority and everything they do, even the things Obama does right they manage to find a negative angle.

    It's not news anymore, it's marketing.

    Sadly, the only show that seems to be delivering actual news is The Daily Show. Even with the humour twist it's more newsworthy than anything else out there.

    Shocking, but true.

48. Peter Feld
    August 14th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    Sorry guys but this poll is 100% worthless. Both the sampling and the question design are hopelessly flawed. Jon Stewart is not the most trusted name in news. For details see: http://is.gd/2h7Np

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