Satirical news reporting may be created with an intent to be humorous and funny, but it is also developed to be informing. Entertaining as it may be, satire news shows can actually give a fair representation of the daily events in our national and global society.
When it comes to culture jamming, satirical shows such as The Rick Mercer Report (RMR) can easily toss a wrench in society’s views. From Media and Society (Shaughnessy, M., & Stadler, J. (2008), p. 213), it says, “The term ‘jamming’ can refer to an obstruction, that is, the equivalent of a traffic jam for the media; it can also reference a more playful, spontaneous form of improvising and engaging with the media.” Using the definition of the term “jamming,” I believe that while satirical news can certainly obstruct the public from fully understanding the true story, shows such as RMR need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Progams such as RMR are not made to tell the audience every single fact and truth about political and societal issues. They exist to make the public use their brain, to think about things a little deeper, and lighten up about various topics. Especially when the topic is a politician such as Stephen Harper, Mike Duffy, or Rob Ford, the audience needs to be aware that what they are about to watch is not going to give the most accurate representation of what is going on. Using Rick Mercer’s “rants” as an example, the audience knows that the show is satirical, but they also know that Mercer is simply going to give his opinion. Though that opinion is being broadcasted out to a large audience, it remains the thoughts and words of an individual; there is no one saying society needs to take everything he says seriously.
Culture jamming may resist the norms of mass culture, but I do feel that it has value. The thoughts created by various types of culture jamming are original and worthwhile. But of course there are always going to be issues with it. For example, page 224 of Media and Society notes:
“There can be serious legal implications. Culture jammers can be sued for brand tarnishment, brand infringement, copyright violation, and even defamation.
The use of controversy and humor can serve to focus attention on the ad, not the issue, or it can trivialise the issue.”
No one wants culture jamming to go too far, but the satirical type of reporting does have value to the public sphere. It is important to ensure that culture jamming does not take away from the importance of an issue, because if that happens, there is a problem at hand. Because of this, I do not consider satirical shows mainstream reporting. They may feature prominent figures, but they are not mainstream news. There is a reason they are often show on comedy networks. Peter Mansbridge’s The National is mainstream; The Daily Show is not. But by having satirical reporting play a role in society, we keep our minds working.
Satirical news may jam our culture, but it can also draw us closer to stories. By putting a different spin on local, national, and global news, the audience can feel a closer connection.
Establishing a relationship with audiences in the public sphere will always be valuable, regardless of the presence of a satirical nature.
Reference
Shaughnessy, M., & Stadler, J. (2008). Media & society (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.
O'Connor Media 