University Park, PA — What if the next presidential election is decided by viewers of “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” rather than viewers of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC? Are satirists giving a more objective and factual view of the news?

In her new book, Penn State School of International Affairs professor Sophia McClennen argues that as millennials enter the voting pool, they predominantly watch their news in the form of satire, instead of cable news, and this is changing politics. The book, “Is Satire Saving our Nation: Mockery and American Politics,” co-authored with PSU media studies undergrad Remy Maisel, points out that, while political satire has always existed alongside American politics, news parody shows are making more of an impact on millennial viewers, redefining how they engage in voting and politics.

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