Jon Stewart Laughs At Newspaper Woes: "What's Black And White And Completely Over?"

With major newspapers companies in turmoil, Jon Stewart dedicated his "Clusterf#@k to the Poor House" segment to newspapers.

"What's black and white and completely over?" he joked. "Give up? It's newspapers."

Stewart dramatically declared that "THE INTERNET!" — specifically Craigslist — has brought about the industry's demise.

"Online ads are cheaper, they receive wider distribution, and, perhaps most importantly, many newspapers still stubbornly refuse to post classified ads like, '57 Year Old Man looking for No-Strings-Attached Shemale Scat Gang Bang."

Watch:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - Final Edition Edition

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Comments

[microcosm]

the news media can be saved by raising the bar on quality.
Fox started the downward trajectory by winning a court case that gave the green light for news media to lie to the public - Florida Appeals Court decision
If the news media adopts a news quality rating system they may be able to turn things around.
We can take action by signing the news quality rating system petition on the ceasespin website
Journalism is an important part of democracy. We should not just let it slip away because of corporate greed. There is a higher civic purpose to be served.
http://FixNewsNow.org

[signaling]

I'm a huge reader, and I used to read many newspapers daily.

Now I subscribe only to one paper newspaper, and just Sunday. I only get the paper because my kids like the comics. I pay for home delivery, but it doesn't even show up much of the time. Which is weird, because wouldn't you'd think they'd like to keep their last customer?

I don't bother reading the print newspaper, myself--it contains nothing of interest. Very little actual news, and what's there is dumbed-down and shortened AP feeds of stories available elsewhere. And mountains of ads for cheap junk that I just toss in the recycle bin without looking at.

I would read local news stories, but the editors apparently have restricted their last reporters to writing idiotic "lifestyles" pieces. Oh, so "online dating" is popular? You don't say!

This is sad, because it's the only remaining newspaper in my larger metro area of almost 4 million people.

I get my actual news and analysis from free newspaper websites and from the New Yorker (I have a print subscription to that). Print newspapers, RIP.

I do subscribe and read the weekly print news analyses in the New Yorker magazine.

I agree with what several others here have said---when print newspapers' content degraded, they lost any point in existing.

I do read many newspapers online. For free.

[kidflash]

The Daily Show is losing me. I think it was sometime after they compared MSNBC to FOX or perhaps when they suggested Obama's support was purely from "guilty" whites. Now I know Stewart and his writers will say that the show is only comedy and not to be taken seriously but this is a cop-out. The Daily Show and Colbert Report have too much of an impact to take that easy dodge. (The fact that they have such a great impact are the reason Rahm Emmanuel and Nancy Pelosi have all but ordered freshman congressmen and women not to appear on the Colbert Report.) Humour is fine, sarcasm great but if you are going about it at least have it based in reality - then skew that reality - then produce your comedy. Don't start with false comparisons or specious conclusions. Even in sarcasm this is not, in my opinion, acceptable.

[brand X]

I'm an avid newspaper reader AND internet junkie. Newspapers won't disappear but they will go through their transformations and come up with improved business models. The only hard news and in-depth reporting is still done by newspapers and their output fuels most of the blogs and talk shows.

[PollyTics]

I find all of the "jokes" about the demise of newspapers to be decidedly UN-funny, especially when you consider all of the jobs and lives that will be devastated by the firings.

I have always adored Stewart for years now, but for the last 9 months or so I have found Jon to be more of a slap in the face than funny...an­d I don't mean "a slap in the face" in the good way. I hope you are right that newspapers will continue to be "around" as I access both the net AND paper versions for the best all around information.

Let us all remember that these casual "jokes" also carry a weighty result.

[SaulBloodworth]

I think the most fascinating aspect about news wandering off to the internet is that they will become truly international. Every town in India can found an American-based news website, if they feel like it-

http://cabal-thenovel.blogspot.com/

[MM216]

I love doing crossword puzzles...­.and in ink, not online.
I'll still cling to my Times and their crossword puzzles. :)

[blue42]

i don't beleive newspapers are dead not everyone has a computer . i own a computer and get some of my news from the huff post. but i would not rely solely on the internet for my news. you guys up here have a tendency to lie. and be very bias

[Samirah1368]

oh I believe it. I LOVE news but I don't bother with newspapers when I can just to the newspapers website. The boston globe sends me updates to my email address when breaking news occurs. I hope newspapers don't come to an end but I can see how the computers have zapped their revenue

[SaulBloodworth]

Let me play a little Devil's Advocate here. So, the problem with the papers is that they don't deliver in-dept, investigative journalism any more.

Really? What was the last time you've spent money on a magazine that still delivers investigative journalism? And if you click on stuff in the internet — these kinds of clicks that let advertisers know that the content they are advertising with is actually read — what do you click on first?

The story about the two-headed puppy, or the famous actor having an affair with a teenage girl, or an in-dept investigation about how the Pentagon is financing propaganda in Pakistan?

http://cabal-thenovel.blogspot.com/

[Ms Fu]

As an avid reader, I truly lament that the near future may be without some of the most influential and informative sources of news. As a writer, I know that the internet offers writing opportunities, but there is nothing like opening up a physical newspaper or magazine and seeing your byline and story in print. I wish that a campaign could start to promote reading more (because even books are sufferng), but knowing my fellow Americans, reading is no longer a pasttime for many (no offense to frequent readers out there, but it's true).

[Classof89]

Great response. I hope more people will take note.

[Cogitoe]

Most newspapers should offer weekly not daily paper additions leaving more current reporting to their Internet sites. The paper additions would focus on more in depth and thoughtful reporting taking advantage of the time to sift through changing events and conflicting accounts to present all sides of an issue. Sort of like a general purpose regional magazine or even a small town newspaper.

[Simpletruthiness]

Well what do you expect?

[satyriasis]

As bad as corporate media is newspapers are still better than anything else. Certainly better than broadcast media. I'm really worried about the future. Without a strong press what little information the public has will evaporate. Who will do the tough, long investigative reporting? Who will check sources?

Get ready for the government propaganda model to increase tenfold. You think it's bad now? You haven't seen anything yet.

[MitchellJGel]

Days of tough, long investigative reporting are over. O V E R. I loved All the Presidents Men as much as the next person, but could you imagine if Woodward and Bernstein were conducting their investigation today. Forget the support of the Washington Post, this story would be been posted right here on Huffinton everytime they had a new leak. Today as three different times I was able to check in on the madness that is (soon-to-be) "Senategate".

Government propaganda model will not increase when Newspapers are obsolete. If anything there will be a backlash against the government and internet writers and reporters will be a lot more free to write as they want. When online newspapers are the only form, blogs will make it much easier to state opinions about the government. Call me when its time for the supreme court hearing about Blogging rights.

[SaulBloodworth]

I think you are too optimistic. How do you know that the blog you are reading is not written by some government operative (or by another government's operative, for that matter)?

http://cabal-thenovel.blogspot.com/

[dadw5boys]

NO FREAKS !

Stay home Craig.

[KeysDan]

Why does Jon Stewart give a forum to Huckabee? This obscene man just ruins the show--why not interview a real human being?

[jdlund]

You know, whatever political points you attempt to make will be riddled by your irrational hatred. Okay so Huckabee doesn't share your socio-political views, fine. You're not somehow superior to him nor are you more of a real human being. I rarely ever agree with Huckabee either, except for some of his views on immigration which are surprisingly kinder than many of his fellow republicans and I did respect him for standing up for Obama during the Rev. Wright bit. On the whole I don't like fundamentalist view points on anything, but spewing such vile hatred is counterproductive and only makes yourself look foolish. Even if you want to say his views are steeped in hatred, say of homosexuals, okay, well writing posts like this makes you absolutely no better.

[ladyv]

Hmm. Well, extreme dislike of an individual, whether that individual is a celebrity or someone one knows personally that is based upon factors that individual controls entirely - i.e. their ideology and belief system and behavior related to that system - is certainly not as ethically problematic as prejudice toward an entire group of people based on qualities beyond th eir control - i.e. race, sexual preference, etc.

However, Huckabee isn't the worst one out there by a long shot and certainly has better attitudes about both immigration and social responsibility toward the poor than the majority of his party. The only issue I have specifically with Huckabee is the question regarding the animal cruelty thing with his son, and that's murky and I've never really been able to figure out if it's a real issue or not.

[CrittersRTasty]

Here's a thought...­Crawl back under your rock.
Believe it or not, some folks like to hear differing views discussed

[SUIGENEROUSLA]

NPN? National Public Newspaper? Who's with me?