Jon Stewart: America’s News Anchor?

“Anyone who talks about you…or your business…is media!”

A Very Important Lesson for Business Executives

When CNBC’s Rick Santelli went ballistic over the Obama Administration’s bailout of troubled mortgages, the mainstream media zeroed in on his tirade.

Meanwhile, below the radar, the writers and main anchor of Comedy Central’s Daily Show were busy digging to support their own angle on the story. The result: a solid right to CNBC’s credibility.

Of course, Jon Stewart and his staff attacked from the left. But consider their influence. Stewart’s Daily Show has become the news source for millions of pre- and young adults. Stewart is setting the agenda and getting laughs at the same time.

Indeed, The Philadelphia Daily News Web site wrote a lengthy front page piece on what newsrooms nationwide can learn from the devastating effect Stewart and his crew can have.

The moral of this story is that no one is immune from the far-reach of all media, including alternative media, even comedic media. Well before the Internet, cable and satellite television expanded the horizon exponentially for many more media outlets, many of them niche and potentially very influential. The Internet has served only to explode the media universe to infinity.

While nothing you do will be absolutely “bullet proof,” it’s a good idea to consider all the ramifications, anticipate the negatives, and be prepared to respond to them, if and when necessary, in positive ways. For more on these techniques, consult The Media Trainers®.

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