Identifier

etd-04302010-121841

Degree

Master of Mass Communication (MMC)

Department

Mass Communication

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Leaning heavily on the media criticism and soft news literatures, the study analyzed comedic media criticism and the effect (if any) it has on the practices of media producers by studying a early 2009 exchange between The Daily Show host Jon Stewart and Mad Money with Jim Cramer host Jim Cramer. In the exchange, Stewart criticized the financial advice Cramer doles out on Mad Money, suggesting that Cramer perhaps knowingly leads his viewers astray with ill-advised stock tips. A quantitative content analysis of claims (N=510) pulled from Mad Money transcripts both before and after Stewart’s criticism of Cramer revealed little to no evidence that Stewart’s jabs had an impact on Cramer’s work. Discussion of what the study’s results mean for the relationship between viewers, their attitudes, the news media, and democracy followed, with a special emphasis placed on the possible link between media criticism and cynicism development.

Date

2010

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Xenos, Michael A.

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2101

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