Jon Stewart argues media ‘squandered’ audience trust with ‘hype machine’

“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart argued on his podcast Wednesday that the media may have “squandered” viewers’ trust after creating a “hype machine” around stories like the President Donald Trump-Russia collusion investigation.

While speaking to MS NOW host Ali Velshi “Weekly Show,” Stewart told his guest: “I think in the media it comes back to – you talked about this before – you said, ‘It’s about what you’re gaining with your audience.’ And I wonder if the media is wasting some of that amount based on these incentives.”

“For example, there are these cries of, ‘Now we have Trump and the Mueller report, now it’s Mueller time,’ and we’re going to get back to all that stuff. And whether it’s for action in Iraq or whether it’s for accountability through these special counsels, the hype machine that produces this creates an expectation in its audience,” he continued.

In 2019, then-Attorney General William Barr announced the results of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report. There is no connection between Trump or his campaign conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Velshi added that the media excitement around stories like the Mueller report acts as a “dopamine rush” for viewers.

In addition to raising expectations, Stewart said such coverage also leads viewers to expect those involved to face the consequences of their reported actions, which may never happen.

“The more you run on the hamster wheel or the gerbil wheel… I wonder if that starts to numb your audience to the outcome? And is that where the trust is lost?” he asked. “It’s not just about accountability, it’s also about tempering their expectations.”

JON STEWART REJECTS CALL TO APPLY FOR OFFICE, SAYS TV STARS SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED AS POLITICAL LEADERS

Comedian Jon Stewart at Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” FYC Event at the Linwood Dunn Theater on June 7, 2025. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central)

Velshi agreed, saying the media could present itself differently.

He added that it’s good to add “a little flourish” to news coverage to capture the audience, but it’s also important to cover “important stories.”

“The world can’t be on fire all the time, because then no one would think there’s a fire. Everything can’t be breaking news, because then nothing would be breaking news,” the MS NOW host said. “What’s going to take down Trump can’t be just about that, because actually your goal needs to be more important and more sustainable than just taking down Trump. It’s about fixing our society, with incentives in the media, with poverty, with healthcare.”

He stated that the problems he listed “are not actually very difficult solutions” and are “things the world can do” given the technology we have today.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE

President Donald Trump speaks with Senate and House Republicans during breakfast in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Velshi later warned of the “real danger” of “associating everything with Trump.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“There’s a real danger in linking everything to Trump, because Trump will go,” he said. “And you’re still going to have all these problems. And you’re still going to have the 35 percent movement of Americans who don’t trust anything and want to destroy everything. We need to fix the system. And that means people understanding the system and understanding their own roles and institutions.”

Related Article