The Stewart / Colbert Effect: Essays on the Real Impacts of Fake News

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report have attracted much interest in recent years from popular audiences as well as scholars in various disciplines. Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have been named on Time magazine's list of the most influential people in the world.

The ten essays in this interdisciplinary collection explore the issues engendered by the popularity of entertainment news, including the role of satire in politics, the declining level of trust in traditional sources of media, the shows' cathartic or informational function, and the ways in which these shows influence public opinion.

"Today's political establishment is worthy of satirization, and, as a result, the study of political satire is necessary in order to understand our core democratic processes. Essays on Fake News advances our understanding of who is consuming political TV satire, the messages being provided by Stewart and Colbert, and the democratic effects derived from watching these important political information outlets." - R. Lance Holbert, The Ohio State University, co-author, Political Communication in the 21st Century

"Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are not only funny, they are significant forces in the contemporary practice of American politics. This volume offers an excellent study of how and why their presence matters and deserves serious scholarly attention." - Jeffrey P. Jones, Old Dominion University, author, Entertaining Politics: Satiric Television and Political Engagement

"For millions of people, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have become a favorite source of news, information, and political commentary. The contributors to this collection help us both to better understand why, and to think through the potential effects of so many people's fascination with Stewart and Colbert. The result is a thought-provoking book that any student, fan, or skeptic of the two shows should have on the shelf." - Geoffrey Baym, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, author, From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News
"This is an essential collection of articles, with lots of data, for anyone interested in how fake news works and what it does to people." - John Morreall, College of William and Mary, author, Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor.