such good material

Richard Morin reports on a study coming out of East Carolina University that suggests that The Daily Show is causing young people to turn their backs on the democratic process. Viewers of the show have a more negative view of politicians than those who view The CBS Evening News. While the study's authors presume that this means that these same young people will now not vote, the study doesn't prove that, so the fact that Morin concludes this on his own is off base or, at the very least, is irresponsible to report on an academic study and suggest it reached a conclusion that it did not. (The study is still available for free download right now.)

Of course, the blame is being placed squarely on the shoulders of Jon Stewart as opposed to the politicians who provide him with such good material.

P.S. Thanks to DailyKos for pointing me in the direction of MyDD and his take on the Murin article. His point? Did anyone notice that voter levels among young people rose in 2004?

P.P.S. Marty Kaplan from The Huffington Post wants to know why the Post chose to harp on the negative, neglecting the study's conclusion that young people who watch The Daily Show believe that they have a clearer understanding of the political process.