Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

There's a good article (complete with links) at the Huffington Post about why Jon Stewart matters.

"You see, Stewart's real critique wasn't about Cramer, it was also only marginally about CNBC. Instead, Stewart's real rage comes from the role the modern media has created for itself: the role of cheerleader instead of watchdog, of favoring surface over depth, of respecting authority instead of questioning it.

It's the same critique that some have about the New York Times (and the rest of the media) in the leadup to the war in Iraq; the same critique lobbed every time a TV reporter does a stand up in front of the Apple Store before a product release; the same critique leveled every time a sensational murder steals a headline from a corporate crime: is this really the job we want the fourth estate to be doing?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-sinker/this-song-aint-about-you_b_174851.html

A couple of years ago Stewart took on Tucker/Begala on air trying to make the point that the talking heads weren't doing their job. This time around he's pointing out how the cable news networks and by extension the general news programs aren't doing their jobs.

There is a crisis in the media and it's one that Obama can't do a thing about. We need a healthy and proactive 4th Estate and we don't have one. Celebrity and big paychecks should not be the goal of the news media. The internet is a revolution in communication but it is damaging the source of what it is so useful for--information.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Here's another view of the smaller issue:

Jon, You're Wrong. It is a Game, and You're a Player!

He's right, the economic issues we all face are not a game, but his show is. And they both played it. Cramer and CNBC have never had this much publicity. And while they both come out of it with a slight odor, little is likely to change. There's nothing like the stink of notoriety. And the same goes for Stewart -- how many more folks watched his show because he had Cramer on? How much more polished is his white knight "armour" now that he's "slain" the evil Booyah? You think that was part of the plan?



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-hegedus/jon-youre-wrong-it-is-a-g_b_174712.html

I don't agree with this guy. There has always been a role for the court jester to play.

[Ya-ta Boy]

This article names names.

Meet The Real Press

"Bob Shieffer is a family friend of the Bushes. George Stephanopoulos is the former Clinton administration press secretary. "Fair and Balanced" Fox's resident sage is Karl Rove, who's been held in contempt of congress and is most likely going to stonewall John Conyer's committee under some bogus "Presidential Privilege" defense. His dance partner at the Washington Correspondents dinner a few years back was the new Meet The Press moderator David Gregory. Do we really believe that it is in any of their interests to ask the hard questions and get to the truth? Has television journalism sunk that low when Katie Couric is hailed as a hero for asking Sarah Palin what newspapers she reads?

Stewart and Letterman aren't members of the club, which is why they're doing the heavy lifting while Cokie Roberts, James Carville and Juan Williams put more energy into their lecture series appearances than doing their jobs."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stu-kreisman/meet-the-real-press_b_174810.html

[Ya-ta Boy]

"It's fine to praise Jon Stewart for the great interview he conducted and to mock and scoff at Jim Cramer and CNBC. That's absolutely warranted. But just as was true for Judy Miller (and her still-celebrated cohort, Michael Gordon), Jim Cramer isn't an aberration. What he did and the excuses he offered are ones that are embraced as gospel to this day by most of our establishment press corps, and to know that this is true, just look at what they do and say about their roles. But at least Cramer wants to appear to be contrite for the complicit role he played in disseminating incredibly destructive and false claims from the politically powerful. That stands in stark contrast to David Gregory, Charlie Gibson, Brian Williams, David Ignatius and most of their friends, who continue to be defiantly and pompously proud of the exact same role they play."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/13/cramer/

I know it's too much to hope for, but the number of articles dealing seriously with this issue have created a glimmer of hope that this thing grows into a public debate on the proper role of the media, creating pressure for the networks to pressure their employees to do a better job of serving the public.

[mises]

I thought the interview was excellent. It took a comedian to finally ask a hedge fund crook some hard questions about market manipulation. But it was a twofer in that he is also a cheer leader.

[moosehead]

Jon Stewart ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been a fan since he first aired - he's the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Jon Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kuros]

I get very uncomfortable with Jon Stewart's status as Mr. Make-the-Media-Accountable.

Play the fool, play it consistently.

[Gopher]

Jon Stewart strikes me as the poisonous type, with virtually nothing constructive to contribute to America. He is so far known for his playing morally superior to W. Bush for eight years, for his playing morally superior to CNN's Crossfire, and now for his playing morally superior to Jim Cramer.

So Jon Stewart bravely exposes and opposes an unpopular president's flip-flops and flop-filps and he sees himself as morally superior and above the partisan hackery he accused Tucker Carlson of, even though he threw John Kerry softballs on his show circa 2004. He also has taken the bold position of attacking business interests during a severe economic crisis.

Well congratulations, Jon.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[catman]

[mises]

[ubermenzch]

[caniff]

[Kuros]

The extended interview (the one on the Daily show site linked somewhere above, as opposed to what aired) is most devastating.

Jon really came out swinging, and Cramer basically fussed to talking up his portfolio at times, and admitted he should have made executives who came to his show more accountable.

Santelli is reportedly hiding from the media. I guess this little stunt got way out of CNBC's hands.

[Gopher]

Ubermenzch: Jon Stewart's "story" remains only a few days old. You cannot reasonably assess its impact from today's vantage point. Everyone always discusses the sensational headline of the moment. Then they move on to the next one...