Television stars come and go, but few will have left such an impression on the medium – and the media in general – as Jon Stewart, who will retire from Comedy Central's The Daily Show at the end of this week. Identifying as a comedian rather than a journalist, Stewart has changed the way a whole generation consumes news.
For many young people, Stewart’s commentary has replaced news altogether. The first they know about an event is when he – or one of his proteges, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert – takes a satirical stab at it. When Stewart is on fire, the world knows about it, thanks to the wide syndication of his show and ubiquitous YouTube clips.
In the US, he is seen as the liberal, hipper alternative to the conservative commentators of Fox News, in particular Stewart’s frequent sparring partner Bill O’Reilly. Stewart, 52, will be missed, but he is getting out at the right time – while he is popular and his views are still in tune with those of his much-younger fans. Of course, as a comedian, he knows a thing or two about timing.
