▁of ▁Row an ▁and ▁Martin ' s ▁L augh - In , ▁to ▁the ▁still - running ▁Saturday ▁Night ▁Live ▁mock ▁new sc ast ▁segment ▁" Week end ▁Update ". ▁C able ▁television ▁got ▁into ▁the ▁cable ▁news ▁act ▁with ▁Home ▁Box ▁Office ' s ▁Not ▁N ec ess arily ▁the ▁News ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁Com edy ▁Central ' s ▁The ▁Daily ▁Show ▁became ▁an ▁icon ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁political ▁sat ire ▁genre , ▁as ▁Jon ▁Stewart ▁del ved ▁into ▁opinion ated ▁political ▁criticism . ▁Its ▁sp ino ff , ▁Stephen ▁Col bert ' s ▁The ▁Col bert ▁Report , ▁also ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁popular ity ▁during ▁its ▁ 9 - year ▁run . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁National ▁An nen berg ▁E lection ▁Survey ▁found ▁that ▁Daily ▁Show ▁view ers ▁were ▁better ▁informed ▁than ▁those ▁who ▁re lied ▁sole ly ▁on ▁conventional ▁network ▁news , ▁and ▁Steven ▁Young ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Daily ▁News ▁comp ares ▁the ▁trust ▁and ▁influence ▁that ▁long - time ▁host ▁Jon ▁Stewart ▁enjoyed ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁CBS ▁anchor ▁Walter ▁C ron k ite ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁However , ▁a ▁study ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁Communic ation ▁suggests ▁that ▁news ▁entertain ment ▁shows ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Daily ▁Show ▁or ▁The ▁Col bert ▁Report ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁as ▁influ ential ▁in ▁teaching ▁vot ers ▁about ▁political ▁issues ▁and ▁candidates ▁as ▁was