Blog 1.1

1. Why are political candidates making appearances on late night television shows?  Which audiences are they most likely to reach that way?

2. In what ways do viewers of political comedy shows benefit?

3. How can political comedy shows impact the way that voters evaluate candidates?

4. What is the likely impact of late night TV coverage of the Trump campaign on voters?

5. How does late night political comedy cause viewers to seek out news from other sources?

6. According to this 2015 report, what percentage of people claimed to get their news from "The Daily Show"?

7. In what ways are viewers of political comedy shows different from the general population?

8. What is the main reason viewers watch these shows?  What secondary benefits do they receive?

9. How are the viewing patterns of people who watch these shows different from other news sources?

Answers:

1a. Candidates are making appearances to look appealing, personable, and relevant.

1b. Viewers are most likely to reach young liberals.

2. Viewers are made more informed on political topics through watch comedic political shows.

3. Comedy shows can skew viewers views negatively or positively, based upon the light/point of view candidates are put in.

4. Viewers think of Trump as uneducated and ugly, thanks to the many portrayals and discussions of him on these political late-night comedies.

5. When viewers are left in the dark about jokes, they are more likely to take the initiative to go do their own research as to understand said jokes.
6. 12% of Americans called The Daily Show their primary news source.
7. Their median age for viewers is younger than virtually every other TV news source.
8a. Generally, people watch it for humor purposes.
8b. The second most common reason is for the political aspects. 
9. Viewer numbers are relatively smaller, but said viewers have greater consistency in viewing practices.