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August 18th, 2008
12:02 PM ET
'The most trusted man in America?'Once it was the president. Then it was Walter Cronkite. 
Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" have been praised for its distinctive coverage of the news.
 Now, The New York Times - in a nice article by Michiko Kakutani - suggests that “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart may be the latest man for the moniker “most trusted man in America.” The piece notes that Stewart tied for fourth in a 2007 survey to name the country’s favorite journalist; Katie Couric led the list, which you can see here (scroll down). Stewart, of course, will have none of it. He’s long described his style as “throwing spitballs” from the back of the room, and that “The Daily Show” is entertainment, not news. “Hopefully the process is to spot things that would be grist for the funny mill,” he says of the “Daily” staff’s daily writing sessions. Still, “trusted” isn’t a bad title for the former William & Mary psych major - one who knows his comedy, too. Asked about his deadpan look after some particularly absurd video has gone by, he says, “There’s only so many ways you can stare incredulously at the camera and tilt an eyebrow, but that’s your old standby: What would Buster Keaton do?” Read the piece here. And if you don’t have access to Comedy Central, you can watch “The Daily Show’s” “Global Edition” on CNN International. Trust us.
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Innocence of a little boy, taping a mirror to the tip of his shoe.
To find out, explore truth, viewed from another angle.
I think this show is such a great method for those who aren't familiar with all of the facets of politics to be able to grasp what truly is going on. I agree with the choice!
News reporters have become so shamefully biased, that Stewart's "fake agenda" and "ironic agenda" are the closest thing we can get these days to a story presented without spin. The "positions" he takes on the issue are usually so absurd that, after a chuckle, you do get a chance to see and hear politicians in their own words. If the news wasn't so shamelessly melodramatic these days, he wouldn't be nominated for "most trusted." I'm sure he would prefer not to be nominated, frankly.
I would have voted for Tom Brokaw or Glenn Beck.
Already fooled, by the media, at the beginning of the show, as is the audience.
The guest has an impossible task, to fool Jon Stewart, and us, even more.
De-confusing, with a good laugh. No Presidential Candidate can match .
that “The Daily Show” is entertainment, not news, could truthfully be said of other the broadcast "news" programs.
I love that O'Rielly said people that watch the daily show are uneducated morons when the daily show was stomping the factor in ratings. Then a marketing company studied the audiences of the factor and daily show and found twice as many people with higher educations watched the daily show than the factor.
Everyone is tired of Bill and Rush which are just mouthpieces for one party.
It's great to see Dan Rather's name on the list. Christiane Amanpour and he will always be more trusted than George W(acko) Bush and Richard (III) Cheney. Jon Stewart is a class act and one of the best hosts ever of the Academy Awards. Congratulations to every man and woman on the list.
For the record–I was inspired by Katic Couric to get a colonoscopy and the doctor found a polyp which was removed. Afterwards, the doc told me to eat more Whole-Grain Bread which I do.
Thanks Ms. Couric.
For your own health, I encourage everyone to get a colonoscopy, they are worth it.
What a shame Walter Cronkite never ran for President!!
Obama/Biden talking head ticket, for the same Oil Cartel interests.
Once the OilDevil owns your soul, apperance, but not underlying change.
Jon Stewart will be suprised ?
When the policies of the elected, are not the campaign promises ?
alex, to say he doesnt mock obama is rediculous, its just easier to mock the republicans, after all, they are in power. And stewart and john mccain were friends and mccain was a friend and regular guest on his show untill he started all this negative campaigning and such
Too bad he's the only one on TV with the balls and impartial logic to expose the truth. I'm sure if you ask him he'd rather the most trusted man in America be a real journalist but since they've all failed to do their job the last decade, he's the only one leading the charge.
How insanely dumb and resistant to logic and facts must you be to still think the Bush administration is doing a good job leading this country? Guess your God gets in the way of your vision?
David,
The whole world wants to move to America because America practices some form of democracy at home. In their own countries, America promotes dictatorship. If that is the way we are going to behave, why wouldn't they want to move to where some people have a shot at being treated fairly?
There are not enough people in the country who know who Jon Stewart is for him to be the most trusted.
The amusing thing is that when/if Obama is elected, Jon Stewart will be out of work. I like the guy well enough, but his partisan biases are obvious and open and I don't think he will be able to effectively make the transition from mocking and ridiculing an administration he obviously doesn't like to one that he obviously does.
to steven tom – – – MOST AMERICANS are stupid and lazy? I assume that you are not part of that group of stupid and lazy. you seem know a whole lot about nothing. especially if you feel jon stewart is so great. sounds like just more left wing hate. when will the ultra left and the far right ever be satisfied with anything? you people, the ultra left in particular hate everything. why if we are so very bad as a nation, why does the world want to move to America. I guess we( the stupid and lazy) should just let you, the brilliant and energetic rule us. Maybe then you would finally be happy
If Katie Couric is the most liked journalist, it tells you either how flawed the survey was or how dumb the people answering it are.
Stewart plays clips like Condi saying, "We will not stand for a government invading another country and setting up a new regime." He then just stares into the camera. This administration says stuff like that all the time. Stewart points out the Emperor has no clothes...and no sense of irony.
What's even scarier is that you spelled 'read' r-a-d.
Comedy Central is just the best in cutting edge humor that poke fun at everything from news programs, pundit shows and reality TV. Jon Stewart is just real brillant in pointing out what is just absurd about news and politics today.
Jon Stewart (c'mon JOHN, stop with the pretense and put an "H" in your name) is annoying because everytime he tells a joke, he has to SHOUT THE PUNCHLINE! Very lame. Very NOT funny.
The scariest thing is that Bill O'Reilly is on the list. Looks like people still don't know Fox is the official outlet for the Republican party. Or worse, they do know and still choose to trust Bill O'Reilly.
Serious, this "news story" is just the kind of thing they'd make fun of on The Daily Show. This is not news!
Oh boy, are we in trouble...
I hate how people use this forums to bash either the right-wing or left wing as being crazy, liars, flip floppers and what have you...BOTH SIDES SUCK! deal with it or change it by voting encumbents out of office!
Well first Jona...you need to spell "read" correctly before you talk smack!
This goes to show how completely out of whack America's thinking has become. To name someone who doesn't report the news, but makes fun of the news as the most trusted......America has lost her mind completely. But getting your news from CNN is just as crazy, if you want truthful, unbiased information. On the other hand, Stewart is halarious and if you want your un-news reported with a little "In living color" added in, I'd recommend his show.
Everybody's gonna think I'm nuts, but you know who's really trusted? Howard Stern. Even people who hate him don't think he's a liar. He sticks to his guns, no matter how offensive.
Jon Steweart is as likely the most trusted man in America as was Clearance Thomas was the best lawyer in America to fullfill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court.
Stewart is amazing, really, and I trust him! He beats up on Obama just as much as McCrazed and the others.
He seems to get better and better with time.
Most Americans are lazy and stupid so if you repeat the same misinformation to them over and over again, they will accept it as fact. This has worked tremendously well over the past 8 years for the Bush-Cheney administration, as well as for Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and the rest of the right-wing chicken-hawks, primarily because our news media are now afraid to ask the tough questions, challenge our own government, or dig below the surface of a story. CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS are all guilty of this and it is truly sad that a program like The Daily Show is the only place where our current administration is taken to task for its lack of transparency, flip-flopping, lies and total incompetence.
You've got to be kidding!!!!!!!!! Celebrities should stick to their TV shows. What a farce!
To Nick ... apparently "The Daily Show: Global Edition" currently airs only on CNN International's non-North American editions - but (if I'm reading a recent memo correctly) on September 1 it will be part of CNN International's lineup throughout the world, airing at 9a ET Fridays and rerun Friday night, Saturday morning and very early Sunday morning. So hang tight.
– TL
Jon Stewart is easily one of the brightest people on television. Watch his show on a regular basis and you will see him destroy phonies on both sides of the isle.
I'm beginning to think there is a correlation between the extreme political views a person holds and the intensity by which they criticize media that doesn't only express that view.
I think that Stewart is on the list because liberals, youth, and the disenfranchised simply don't trust ANYONE in the mainstream media in this age of the political pundit. News is never completely objective any more, on all of the 24-hour news services you get "Newsitainment": news that is sensationalized to keep you watching into the next hour. Living in Canada, I hear Beck and O'Reilly calling my country a socialist-terrorist haven, when frankly that's a load of crap. How can we trust these blow-hards who fan the flames of hate and fear for ratings?
Truman, the pinko terrorist, from Toronto
Okay... I absolutely love John Stewart and the Daily Show, but he only got 2% of the votes in this poll, and it was back in 2007. Katie Couric only got 4%! The majority of those polled (68%) said "other/none/don't know/refused". Why is this even a story?
Not only is he bright and insightful, and puts the inanities of our society and political landscape in focus...also, anything that pushes the buttons of the troglodyte, knuckle-dragging ultra-conservatives has to be good, by "god"!
Trust is about integrity. While the network news organization have become contrived voices supporting their corporate ownership, John Stewart has consistently provided the public a source of critical thinking ,intellect , humor and integrity. H. L. Mencken and Will Rogers provided the American public the same services during the 20th century. The sad part seems that he has been unable to shame the news business i.e. Fox news etc into providing the same level integrity that is found on each one of his shows. Thank you John Stewart and please continue the great work you are doing.
Bill O'Reilly? So you’re wanting opinion not news? John Stewart stands out cause he just lists the facts will some humor.. or goes to the extreme when pointing out news that is a blatant lie...
If Jon Stewart being one of the most trusted media personalities in America is the scariest thing you have read in a long time, then you clearly don't read very much at all.
I used to be a die hard fan of The Daily Show but lately haven't had the time to watch it regularly. So I get excited when flipping through the guide of channels on my Cable DVR and see the Int'l Edition of The Daily Show listed but when I tune in it has never been on. It's always replaced with some other CNN show. When I clicked on the link included in this post to view the North American schedule it's not even listed. I thought they stopped doing this edition of the show some time ago? If not, when does it air?
Even Jon Stewart would think that his inclusion is scary, but what's scarier is that Bill O'Reilly ranked ABOVE him. I'd trust Stewart well before I'd trust anything that comes out of the mouth of O'Reilly.
Stewart is intelligent and insightful and has a way of showing the absurdity and ignorance of those in power who are supposed to be "trusted". For this reason, I trust him to bring out the "beast" in people and show them for what they are and what they really think!
CNN is becoming less and less reliable. Second rated news, unreal and phony interviews and of course comedians like BECK and former spies like Blitzer as anchors ... The list goes on and on. Something to think about.
I cannot believe that Bill O'Reilly is on this list. Who selected these people?
The Rogers/Marx comment is dead-on accurate.
Stewart's show is entertainment (and pretty good entertainment at that); it's entertainment with a point. He's trusted because he never lies to his audience. Rather, he just shows us how absurd our government has become. He shows us that it's okay to laugh at what has become a joke: the American system of government.
What is scary it that Katie Couric led the list!
Jon Stewart is the Will Rogers of our day. Stephen Colbert is our Groucho Marx.
He's reliable; if he plays a clip, it's a real clip. He'll make a partisan comment, or sneer openly, but he will show us what's going on instead of just hiding the government/GOP's mistakes the way 'real' media does. Pretty sad when you think about it.
I used to trust CNN a lot more before they hired Beck and Snow but now they're just part of the machine.
Oh.. that is scarier than anything I have rad in a very long time. If THIS dope Is the most trusted man in America then we have lost everything.