Laughing when you read an article online—or simply enjoying a funny joke—is now proven to make political news more memorable for young audiences, however whether or not humour belongs in journalism has become inspiration for debate.
A study published on Dec. 22 co-authored by Ohio State University and the University of Pennsylvania concluded political information framed in a humorous manner enhances people’s long-term memory of the information.
It also increases the probability they will share the information with others.
According to a news release from senior author Emily Falk, professor of communication, psychology, and marketing at U of P, the study “wanted to test whether humour might make news more socially relevant, and therefore motivate people to remember it and share it.”
The researchers came to these conclusions by screening a collection of simulated news clips that varied between funny and non-humorous content for a group of young adults, aged 18 to 34.
Participants demonstrated their capacity to remember and desire to share humorous political information by having data collected using fMRI technology, that measures brain activity. They were then given memory tests to determine what information they retained and asked what content they would share.
The study was inspired by the rise of news-oriented comedy programs as sources of information about politics.
As a consumer, Evan Fortin, a second-year undergraduate in public policy and governance at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia finds that political comedy has made politics during the past five years approachable.
“Political comedy has changed, but I would say it’s changed because of how ridiculous everything’s gotten in politics,” Fortin said. “Political comedians have so much more to talk about, and people are more inclined to tune in because it’s so ridiculous everything that’s going on.”
While Fortin enjoys watching humorous current events programs, such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he believes comedy plays a different role than journalism.
“Political comedy, I would say, is more about entertainment than it is about keeping you informed,” Fortin said.
Fortin said he believes late night hosts and mainstream political comedians have biases they aren’t afraid to let show. “They’re not reporting news objectively, but I don’t think they have an obligation to,” he said.
“I don’t think anyone should be going to those sources looking for a balanced and objective approach.”
According to Peter Mazereeuw, deputy editor of The Hill Times, an Ottawa-based newspaper covering Parliament Hill, journalists are expected to deliver facts, not their opinions about the people elected to govern.
Mazereeuw said this is a responsibility political journalists take seriously, a differentiating factor from humorous political commentary.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of room in straight news coverage to embrace comedy. When you’re reporting the news, you have to do it without inserting your own opinion because you’re not the expert,” Mazereeuw said.
“People aren’t visiting the site to read your thoughts on something. They want information, and it’s hard to use humour without inserting an opinion. Plus, it can be hard to demonstrate to the public this is important and not entertainment [when using comedy].”
While political comedy may play a different role than journalism, according to Rick Currie, a former writer for the Rick Mercer Report and a current freelance comedian, it can still be a conveyor of truth.
The Rick Mercer Report was a comedy series on CBC until 2018 which satirized current events and Canadian politics.
“Maybe comedy is just a more honest way of conveying the information,” Currie said. “The intention behind conveying the information is just to get a laugh, and maybe people trust that a little more because they can understand. We’re modern court jesters, I guess. Truth tellers.”
As a veteran comedian who began performing in 1984, Currie attests that comedy is a positive space for people to exchange ideas and information.
“Comedy, like music, can do all kinds of things. It can be melodic or punk rock, you know what I mean?” Currie said. “In its best form, comedy can inform and bond people. Laughter can be a bonding experience and create a sense of community.”
Featured Image provided by CBC.
