Analysis of Colbert Report's Episode through the Lens of Baym's Article on Discursive Integration - Assignment Example

COLBERT The current examination looks at an episode of the mock-news program “The Colbert Report” through the perspective of Baym, a scholar who views what they call a new genre of news-entertainment pioneered by “The Daily Show.” In this time, when everything is a hybrid of two or more genres, not even the news is safe from the situation. In news media, a new style has emerged, combining conventional news, late night shows, and comedy shows, together. In the essay The Daily Show: Discursive integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism, Geoffrey Baym discusses this “discursive integration” of these genres and what its effect on the future of political journalism (259). Baym examines The Daily Show as an example of this hybrid format stating how The Daily Show new format has spark a new genre, of hybrid of many, and has become an important part of the media. The Colbert Report As a show that is packed with lots of comedy satire but still disseminates real news, The Colbert Report is a hybrid. It opens with a serious news opening, then shows him running and jump carrying a flag. Then, the camera pans to the audience, who are clapping and cheering. Similar to TDS starts of serious shows, the show then moves to some more like a late-night show with audience cheering. Typical Colbert shows include mock reportage on political events, using a strong degree of sarcasm and irony to mock traditional news programs that claim to be “fair and balanced,” but really are not. This use of satire can be favorably compared to Baym’s idea of “The Daily Show’s” John Stewart, as another show which acts to criticize the very object of culture which it is serving up to the people. Both shows use the trappings and production values of real news programs in a subversive, surreal manner. News Report The first segment of The Colbert Report, like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, focuses on news updates on current events. Both shows share many similarities in this segment. They both incorporate a great deal of comedy satire into the news while taking aspects from both late-night shows and comedy shows (Baym, 263). Another great example of the similarities between these shows is that the hosts provide subjective nature on the subject. As Baym points out in his essay, Stewart “instead engages in subjective interrogation” going against all normal journalist standards (265). In the episode of The Colbert Report used by the current investigation, Stephen displays his subjective nature while talking to Arturo Rodriguez on immigration, or the other guests, when he mockingly brings guns onto the stage when discussing gun control. As Baym suggest The Daily Shows creditability is established by Stewart’s use of sound bites and video clips from well known sources (264). Likewise, Stephen Colbert makes use of clips and sound bites in The Colbert Report to interrogate power through satire. For example, in the abovementioned episode, he uses a clip from CNN with a reporter talking about legalizing guns in churches. Baym also points out how Stewart mocks some of the failures of real news. One of Baym’s main points is how The Daily Show points out how real news stations focus on trivial news instead of the focusing on the real and important news (268). The Colbert Report also makes a point to show how news stations talk about the most trivial news. In the episode, Stephen is talking about Jon Stewart and allegations of harassment but is then interrupted by late breaking news, Baym refers to this as “now this” style (Baym, 268), of problems in “Candwich” development (). This news is very insignificant and really not news at all; it is satirical and ironic comedy. One difference in the two shows, as Baym points out being a part of The Daily Show, is The Colbert Report lacks a mockery of live reporters out on the scene (Baym, 270). Stephen does not have a reporter segment in his show. Mockeries and satires such as these show how the idea of journalism being a requirement of democracy is somewhat misleading, because it is not to say that non-democratic countries or societies do not have journalism. What seems to be more to the point is to say that a free press is a requirement of democracy, rather than journalism in and of itself, which might be run even in this system by societal biases, but which isn’t, at least, explicitly controlled and censored for ideological content by the status quo. In certain instances, this means the censorship of footage. The mix of democracy and journalism in the US is an assurance that the public will get fair and balanced news; programs like Colbert’s challenge this assumption. Interview The last segment in The Daily Show is the interview. Baym states that the show is different from the standard late-night where the guest are usually celebrities whereas Stewart host regularly consist of politicians and journalists (271). Likewise The Colbert Report is similar where most of Stephen’s guests are the same. In the episode his invited guest was Arturo Rodriguez, the President of United Farmworkers of America, who talked about immigration reform and his association. Baym also points out that Stewart’s guests are invited on the show to not only promote something but as well open up for discussion on important subjects (272). In a somewhat similar fashion Stephan invites his guest on the show and often opens up for conversation but his interviews are shorter than those on The Daily Show. The two differ where The Daily Show has some interviews “running as long as 10 minutes” (270) whereas in the episode of The Colbert Report the interview ran for about 5 minutes. Stephen’s interviews are shorter and while they do discuss important and real world topics he often has a sketch more comedy in his interviews than Stewart. Take, for example, again in the interview with Arturo Rodriquez, where Stephen jokes throughout the entire interview with only about 2 minutes of the 5 minute interview actually discussing the serious issues of immigration reform and improving the conditions of migrant farmers. In essence, it is a measure of responsibility and accountability for the free press that is able to give counterarguments and provide a space for counterarguments regarding issues that are controversial and require a public forum so that the viewing and listening public can get a full cognizance of the issues being presented on both sides. This is just one of these issues that is mocked in what Baym calls a new form of entertainment journalism. Objectivity has always been a key tenet of journalism, but the achievement of objectivity is less clear, as Campbell and others note quite frequently. “Embedded deep within journalism is a belief in the two dimensionality of news. A reporter sent to cover property tax increase might be told ‘Interview Republican and Democratic leaders and have them fight it out in the story’ Such balance is a narrative device that helps generate story conflict” (Campbell et al., 2006). It is shown that much of journalism has responded to a need for clarity in this presentation by highlighting balanced reportage of issues that concern the public or may be political, controversial, or the subject of dis- or misinformation, including political reportage. Conclusion The structure of “The Colbert Report,” like the structure of “The Daily Show” focused upon by Baym, mocks and mirrors the structure of a real news show. There is commentary, there are issues discussed, and there is an interview. The idea of the free press in America is based on the idea that the public will receive balanced coverage of controversial issues that are important to the public’s knowledge base and therefore would be relatively free from the dangers of propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation appearing over the radio and television, or in newspapers or on the internet, without the chance of a counter-argument or rebuttal that would increase the objectivity of the information being reported. This stresses a positive duty on the part of publishers or broadcasters and a responsibility to provide programming that, if it does discuss a controversial issue such as an editorialized news story, does so in a way that highlights the importance of a balanced story in the eyes of the public. Shows like “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” act to question the legitimacy of this idea of fair and balanced news, and admit the possibility of a news program that actually sees reality through blatant stereotypes. This is the result of stereotypical thinking that separates the in-group in terms of uniqueness and the capability of possessing infinite traits, from the out-group, which is viewed homogenously in terms of shared and non-unique traits. Stopping stereotypical thinking is the first step in combating prejudice and discrimination. Baym, E. “The Daily Show.” Political Communication, 2005. Campbell, Martin, and Fabos. Media and Culture. New York: St. Martin, 2006. Read More