It was proved in the last blog post that satirical news such as Saturday Night Live’s ‘Weekend Update’ can still effect the public sphere despite the fact that it is not ‘real’ news. Satirical news is successful because it expands the public sphere by introducing new demographics. People who would not normally watch the regular six o’clock news, such as Justin Gideon, Jessica Znaczko, and Brandon Kennedy all agree that satirical news is not only a successful type of news casting, but also that it positively effects the public sphere. These three testimonials support my previous claims that satirical news is not only an effective method of news casting, but they also agree that the news is more widely discussed due to this method. Their claims deepen this knowledge by proving how the use of satirical media positively affects the public sphere.
When discussing the reliability of satirical news, Brandon Kennedy stated that “I see these shows as a reliable and more entertaining way of acquiring important information that I would not otherwise find out about due to the news’ aforementioned dull and depressing nature. While they are not always, of course, the most reliably accurate and honest source of information they take steps further than their serious counterparts by adding the element of humor and entertainment.” By saying this he affirms that not only is satirical news a viable form of broadcasting, but it affects the public sphere positively by supplying a counterpoint. This counterpoint proves to be a useful feature in the public sphere, allowing for conversation to deepen within it.
The point about the public sphere expanding due to this content is not only because of the age of the demographic, but also forms in which it is released. I don’t know about everyone else, but if I were to sit down and watch the six o’clock news, I would not want to log onto the Internet after and rewatch my favourite parts. This is not true for satirical news, as I know many people who go onto YouTube after SNL and review the highlights of ‘Weekend Update’ this is to see if they missed any jokes, or maybe just to re-experience the laugh they had earlier. Justin Gideon states “The success of the comedy is well known within the industry and there is a surge of TV shows and websites that use this to their advantage.” This meaning that the news has extended to the online community, introducing it to a whole new part of the public sphere.
To conclude, Jessica Knaczko sums up the argument with “In order to promote discussions of change within the public sphere, culture jamming through satirical news reports on television is the fastest and most reliable way to accomplish this.” Meaning that since satirical news introduces a new demographic, and a new community of online participants, the public sphere greatly benefits from this form of media.