Satire and the News

Guest: Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, PhD, Professor of Communications, Ohio State University, author of “Choice and Preference in Media Use” Satirical news is having a heyday with Donald Trump’s presidency. Saturday Night Live’s spoofs of the President and his cabinet have become pop culture phenomena. Stephen Colbert – who struggled to get his footing when he made the leap from Comedy Central to the Late Show on CBS – is now surging in the late-night ratings, thanks to his news-heavy take on comedy. Does satire about the news just make us laugh? Or does it actually affect our views on politics? Our willingness to get engaged in the political process?