A new poll from Rasmussen confirms what perhaps you may have suspected: About 1 in 4 (24%) of all Americans say (as Rasmussen puts it) "satirical news-oriented television programs like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart are taking the place of traditional news outlets."
It's surprising that it cuts across nearly all ages. Yes, it's just under 1 in 3 for those 21 to 39% but many of their elders are also coming to this view.
The full breakdown is 24% backing this view, 45% disagreeing with 31% expressing no opinion.
Surprisingly, Republicans who support this view outnumbner Democrats by 28% to 22% (though they may not actually approve of this trend).
Both Stewart and Colbert log about 35% favorable ratings with about 22% unfavorable and the rest saying, perhaps, "who they?"
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of adults say programs of this nature are making Americans more informed about news events, while 21% believe they make people less informed. Twelve percent (12%) say they have no impact.
Twenty-one percent (21%) characterize programs like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show as at least somewhat influential in shaping their political opinions, including seven percent (7%) who say they are Very Influential. Most (70%) say they are not influential, with 44% who say they are not at all influential.
Rasmussen also reminds us that Colbert drew 13% backing for a race for president in October 2007.
Full report here.
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Greg Mitchell's new book is "Why Obama Won." He is editor of Editor & Publisher and now twitters here.