Sixteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Satirical programs can invoke framing elements to portray stories in a certain manner. With the ongoing debate surrounding net neutrality, these shows have the potential to educate and influence audiences. My main research questions include: How did “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report,” and “Last Week Tonight” frame their pieces on net neutrality? Did they offer a perspective on both sides of the issue? Were they more favorable to a certain side? If so, how? In what manner did they try to get their point about net neutrality across? To conduct my study, I selected four segments from satirical news programs; one from “The Daily Show” which was a conversation between host Jon Stewart and correspondent John Hodgman, two from “The Colbert Report,” one of which is a standard piece with Colbert as host and the second of him interviewing scholar Tim Wu, as well as a segment from “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver acting as anchor. I conducted a close-read of the selected segments, noting dialogue, news box images, incorporated news footage, and the positions addressed in regards to net neutrality utilizing a framing perspective on the information relayed in the programs.