A recent Business Journal article, No Joke: Daily Show Viewers Follow Presidential Race, discusses the impact of the Daily Show on news/politics.

Viewers of late-night comedy programs, especially The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on the cable channel Comedy Central, are more likely to know the issue positions and backgrounds of presidential candidates than people who do not watch late-night comedy, the University of Pennsylvania’s National Annenberg Election Survey shows.

Bonus Item: Time Magazine: 10 Questions with John Stewart

I have watched The Daily Show since Craigers hosted it and have always enjoyed the writing and their unique outlook on news stories. Each time a 'senior correspondant' leaves I quickly adapt to the new one. With that said, I hope that Steve Colbert sticks around for a while

Perhaps the antithesis of The Daily Show could be Hardball or O'Reilly. Speaking of the 'No Spin Zone' here is a transcript from John Stewart's recent appearance.