Although informative and hilarious, the TV news programs on Comedy Central present a stark, and sad reminder of just how bad journalism in general (or honest-to-goodness news gathering) has become in the last few years.

When the best news programs on TV are phony mock-ups — WTF!

(Illustration found here).

Of course, the massive, humongous problem is how divided the US, and the overwhelming assholeness of Fox News, the worst example of any kind of news reporting in the history of the world.
And just how divided are we?
Old shits vs all the young dudes.

Viewer age makes all the difference, and the Inter-Webs.
Via Raw Story:

The newest Pew Research Center’s survey of where and how people get their news has been released, and while Fox News is still polling the oldest viewership, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are pulling the youngest. As Stewart educates his young viewers in the ways of FNC on a nightly basis, it is clear that he is the biggest long term media threat to Fox News.
“The net impact of digital platforms supplementing traditional sources is that Americans are spending more time with the news than was the case a decade ago.
As was the case in 2000, people now say they spend 57 minutes on average getting the news from TV, radio or newspapers on a given day.
But today, they also spend an additional 13 minutes getting news online, increasing the total time spent with the news to 70 minutes. This is one of the highest totals on this measure since the mid-1990s and it does not take into account time spent getting news on cell phones or other digital devices.”

And this despite Newsweek‘s dumb-ass prediction 15 years ago.
Pew Research’s news poll also found:

Speaking of television, Fox News has been able to hold its audience share because Republicans have been fleeing to the network.
In 2002, Republicans were just as likely to watch CNN as they were to watch Fox News, but eight years later, 40% of all Republicans regularly watch FNC. Twelve percent of Republicans watch CNN and 6% watch MSNBC.
Fox News does not lead the cable news ratings because there are more Republicans in the United States. They lead because they have been successful in consolidating the Republican audience.
It is no surprise than that Fox News, just like the GOP caters to an older audience.
Sixty three percent of Bill O’Reilly’s viewers are over 50 years old, and 65% of Hannity’s viewers are over 50. Only 44% of the nation as a whole are over 50 years old, so the over 50 demographic is overrepresented on Fox News.
If the younger viewers aren’t watching Fox News, then what are they watching?
The answer to this question can be found on Comedy Central Monday through Thursday from 11 pm-12 am. Colbert and Stewart’s audiences are young.
In fact, they were the youngest in the survey.
Eighty percent of Colbert’s audience is between 18-49, and 74% of Stewart’s audience falls into the 18-49 demo.
Although their audiences are double the amount of liberals in the overall population, Colbert and Stewart also appeal to Libertarians, as they make up 29% and 27% respectively of their audiences.
Interestingly 53% of Colbert’s audience and 43% of Stewart’s said that they watch these programs for entertainment.
They may come for the entertainment, but they also get a healthy dose of the news.

Dude, where’s my news?