Positioning the Viewer in Frontline to Receive a Particular Version of Telling the Truth

On television every night, there are countless late night talk shows. Many people watch these shows because the hosts refer to subjects that are not regularly discussed in public. Between interviews, the hosts often satirize new ideas or beliefs in the society. Because they address

Zinser utilizes his readers emotional appeal, pathos, to prove that “fake” news programs, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, use “deception and dilution” (365). He states that deception is giving the wrong information on purpose; yet, states that The Daily Show does not claim to be a legitimate news source (Zinser 366). Then, Zinser asserts that he “[assumes] that the audience is

Augie Fleras and John Lock Kunz further the argument, pointing out that what appears as mainstream and unbiased is, in actuality, socially constructed. Fleras and Kunz point out that news items (i.e. the events or issues that are covered) are chosen by personnel (such as editors) on the basis of personal, institutional, corporate, and commercial priorities. 7 In other words, the news media is market driven. The mainstream news media, therefore, are not merely

Two narratives that Waisanen portrays within his article are two video clips from Onion News Network in which he uses to elaborate and discuss further his main idea. The first narrative that Waisanen portrays is about “… the presidential race heats up, a new survey finds that again, this year, the number one issue among voters, bullshit” (512). He further describes how the news is being illustrated with a news anchor that speaks in a schematized tone similar to the news anchor on public news that is usually broadcasted. The reason why Waisanen uses this narrative is to support his point of the Onion News Network who mocks and deprives the practices of what the “real” news normally portrays and broadcasts. Moreover, another narrative that Waisanen portrays is another video clip from Onion News Network about a morning show similar to Good Morning America where two news anchors discuss about a dog mascot known as “Liberty” who is on a mission to “ …psyched up troops suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” (513). Primarily the news is to “lament the death of the American army mascot” (513). However, Waisanen uses this video clip as an example to show how the Onion News Network videos illustrate and broadcast videos to viewers that may somewhat have some truth; for instance, the unfortunate battle that soldiers go through with PTSD, but at the same time they never portray or say the real or “whole picture” (523) of what is being broadcasted. In addition, Waisanen

To read a story in a biased fashion, reporters may fail to see things from the other side’s point of view and may blur details to ensure that their side looks correct. Commentators may also bring guests onto the show that will tell a story from a certain perspective, so the audience may assume that this perspective is the better one (Shapiro). Both of these forms of journalism are dangerous, as they mislead the audience and tell a version of the story that may or may not be

Hence, the claims are believable as the show relies heavily on the use of various news footages, often in a documentary way that employs archival video to show contrast and contradiction, even if the purpose is satirical rather than reportorial. The content on the show is unburdened by objectivity, journalistic integrity or even accuracy, nevertheless, it speaks volumes with Jon Stewart’s big unauthoritative persona as he attempts to breakdown on selective representation.

Interviews are frequently used in Blieden’s documentary in order to fully portray the political ideals of Oswalt as well as his comic comrades, Maria Bamford and Brian Posehn. Oswalt is first interviewed while receiving a stylish haircut. During the direct interview, Oswalt tells the director that his haircut is called “The Oswalt” and that the hair automatically “makes Republicans hate you.” Through this early interview, Oswalt further establishes his political orientation. This presentation method effectively shows how Oswalt is aware of his reputation, and how he uses jokes in order to

Hello, you’re watching the [TIME] news here on Channel 5. I’m Nicole Yol. Today’s top story: troubling truth. Media networks are being questioned about the ways the truth is constructed and presented to the public, after recent episode of satirical ABC TV show Frontline by Rob Sitch et al was aired yesterday at 8pm. Viewers watching episode ‘The Siege’ were left believing that current affair programs are unscrupulous and are more interested in drama for ratings. But just how did the recent episode affect the perspectives of the general public on the media?

Today, it seems that almost all news sources have some “spin” in their reporting. In many cases, the journalists may report only facts at the time of an events occurrence but later begin to inject their opinions concerning what has happened. For instance, when a shooting occurs, all of the media sources covering the event focus on gathering facts. Soon after the event however, the reporters began to give their opinions concerning the issue. Some may use this event as an opportunity to raise concern for gun control or mental health rather than simply reporting the news. Many times, rather than bringing in experts on a topic, a reporter will give his or her opinion in spite of its uselessness. When experts or witnesses are brought in to give accounts, they are often hand-picked individuals whose views match those of the reporters. The media produces this type of news because it is more entertaining and appealing to the public. To maximize profits, media outlets produce what gets the highest ratings, and if that means that the reporters must twist some facts to support the public’s views, then that is what they will do (Hammond). In a recent police shooting, the media showed its willingness to twist facts for their favor. A police

If there is one thing that limits news networks, and truly any form of presentation, it is viewership. Constant ads and propaganda can yield returns, but real people caring to watch, is the one thing not in companies control. There’s no doubt that there’s a certain group of people who watch the news, and a group that doesn’t. However, Comedians such as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, or ksdj are in a position of telling the news, extremely similar to the actual news, but to people who rarely ever watch a news program. In this sense, These men have the obligation to provide as quality and trustworthy information as they can for their viewers. They are educating a whole group of people who are not willing to find news anywhere else. Without fail week after week, the daily show provides a means of understanding the political system for common men. “If you watch the news and don't like it, then this is your counter program to the news,” He provides an alternative, a place to escape from the corruption that has taken over news. The result is a better educated populace. By engaging those who care little for politics and finding a way of interpreting what the American public can’t understand, these parody shows are expanding society's knowledge. It’s even gotten to point where study's find that watchers of these shows, are

The show is characterized by its pointed interviews and generally blunt commentary, and in 2001 became the most watch cable news program in America. The show expanded to radio in the form of The Radio Factor, which ran from 2002 to 2006. His provided commentary tends to be conservative and controversial, one of the most notable resulting in some hosts of The View walking off set. The comment posed all Muslims as responsible to the attacks on 9/11, and when he refused to rephrase, they simply walked off

Modern society relies heavily on media, a form of mass communication, to inherit its values and beliefs on political and social issues occurring around the world. Two of the most common forms of communication in this field are current affairs programs and news broadcasts. Due to the mass production and high demand for news around the world, the images and stories presented to the public are often skewed, therefore sometimes misrepresenting the truth behind the stories being reported on. As media has become more commonplace in modern society, modern texts have explored this idea more frequently. Both the television series, Frontline by Rob Sitch et al and The Simpsons episode Homer Bad Man, written by Greg Daniels and directed by Jeffery Lynch

As Alan Coren once joked, “Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms” (“Alan Coren Quotes”). From Good Morning America to Gossip Girl, television offers its viewers an immense variety of programs to keep its audience not only entertained but also glued to their TV set for hours everyday. Throughout his video, “How is Technology Changing TV Narrative,” Mike Rugnetta uses a multitude of comedic examples to argue that television narratives are more complex today because of time shifting technology. Mike Rugnetta is the host of the Idea Channel, a PBS web series, as well as a performance lecturer for Meme Factory where he educates people about the Internet (“Mike Rugnetta: Ask Meme Another”). In his Idea Channel videos, Rugnetta is able to use unconventional methods to educate his audience. Although pop-up cartoons and comedic input weakens his organization, Rugnetta’s style of interaction engages his audience effectively through his ability to address his audience’s questions and make the audience understand the information through humor.

TV Journalism has been degraded to the point in which true factual and informative reporting free of bias has been replaced with short news bytes centered and focused on its entertainment value alone. Within the political process, this has mostly served as a disservice to both politicians and the general public audience.

One such comedy called The Daily Show admits it is about fake news. As reported by Brewer & Marquardt (2007), The Daily Show is a satire of fake news events, including personal interviews with various guests. Anyone from politicians to news figures made appearances. The researchers noted that these interviews