Comedic nature doesn’t discredit news source

College students depend on various sources of news to retrieve information about the political climate. But no one should judge whether or not one outlet of news is more effective than another. That is a decision we must make for ourselves.

Brooke Baldwin, a CNN news anchor was sincerely concerned with the fact that some college students prefer to get their news from “The Colbert Report,” featuring comedian Stephen Colbert. During a segment of CNN’s Newsroom, Baldwin asked College of Charleston Professor Amanda Ruth-McSwain, if it worried her at all that students received their news from Comedy Central. However, Ruth-McSwain said, “it is not something I necessarily would encourage, but at the same time I hope that people are getting their news somewhere.”

I think our generation has changed. When it comes to catching up with the news, I would much rather watch “The Colbert Report” instead of an episode of “60 Minutes.”

As a democrat, Colbert often makes light of the outlandish things that republicans do. From supporting Herman Cain through his sexual harassment charges to comparing Newt Gingrich to the Pillsbury Dough Boy, one thing is for sure, he keeps the audience laughing. Some feel that news is not meant to be funny and that layering satire over it hinders the comprehension of what Colbert is saying. Colbert gets rid of the fancy words and fluff, often heard in shows including “The O’Reilly Factor.” Colbert gets straight to the point of the story and his quick punch lines draw in a huge following.

I tend to prefer things that are pretty basic and easy to understand. At the same time, I prefer things that stimulate my mind. However, CNN’s lack of creativity in delivering the news makes them boring and generic. Colbert keeps the conversation light and allows the audience to interpret for themselves what they think of the story, and having this freedom draws college students in.

For Brooke Baldwin to say that she is shocked that college students get their information from Colbert is shocking to me. It is not Colbert who makes a mockery toward the matter, but the actual politicians who feel the need to rebuttal against him. Colbert cuts out the nonsense and makes light of the serious problems that lurk in our political society. Politicians will do some crazy acts to get noticed by the public to get them elected. If our politicians can come across as silly then why can’t our news anchors?

Professors today are always saying how we need to be more resourceful. When we watch Colbert, we’re retrieving information and although the method is a little unconventional, it definitely gets the job done.

“The Colbert Report” should not be viewed as a less credible source if so many people are referring to it for their news. The show has received numerous Emmys’ for a reason. I take from “The Colbert Report” what I think is newsworthy or credible. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to determine whether I want to apply it to my life or not.

Jamila Nakia Huxtable can be reached at jamila.nakia.huxtable@temple.edu.