Who would have thought a comedic anchor that claims he delivers “fake news” would be someone America would place their wholesome trust on?

In a poll conducted by Time.com, the question was asked following the death of the original most trusted man in America, legendary journalist and former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite. The evening news contenders – CBS’s Katie Couric, ABC’s Charlie Gibson, NBC’s Brian Williams were all beat out by the wise guy, joke-cracking anchor – Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, who was voted most trustworthy by 44 percent of the voters. Williams was runner-up with 29 percent, Gibson with 19 percent, and trailing behind was Miss Couric with 7 percent.

While the poll was anything but official, posing as a filler for the site where roughly 9,400 people clicked to vote – the poll raises several questions, mainly America’s lack of trust in mainstream media outlets. But the biggest question is, how real is the “fake news?”

-Sabina for AMP3 Public Relations

Why I don't talk to anyone from 11pm to 12am...

Our daily media is filled with celebrity tidbits (divorces, marriages, babies, biblical dalliances), 13-year-olds getting paternity tests, pink dolphins (ed. that is actually pretty cool, but still…), Michelle Obama’s outfits and the like.  Then there’s also economic meltdowns, Obama press conferences, NYC MTA fare hikes AND service cuts, traditional media outlets folding….

Whether it’s good PR for the fluff or better PR for the real issues (enabling themselves to be masked by the Octomom is pretty impressive), the general masses are being led to faux-news as opposed to things that broadly and intensely matter.

But, then again, all legitimate new comes second to whether or not John Mayer was dumped for spending more time on Twitter than to his girlfriend.

At this point, I’m not really sure that we–the broad and general public–know (or care) what actual news is.

Perhaps that’s why show’s like “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” thrive.  In the 18-34 market (coveted by advertising and marketing camps), these shows deliver legitimate news content in a format fit for general consumption.  Sure, political leanings and personal feelings might be obvious, but with segments like “Mess O’Potamia,” “Clusterf@#k to the Poor House,” “The Word,” “The ThreatDown,” and “Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger,” otherwise complex political, economic, and foreign matters are broken down to be easily understood by anyone watching.

Since both shows film in New York, I’ve had a chance to attend both, and from a PR standpoint, I’m impressed with how they’ve managed to continue building influence while straying ever-so-slightly from the comedic intention of the show and tackling substantial issues.

It seems that Stewart and Colbert understand that their shows are powerful vehicles, and any negative PR they’ve gotten (people have been critical of Stewart’s Jim Cramer interview most recently) has been spun into positive press for the show.

While I don’t subscribe to the notion that any PR is good PR, I do believe that any unfortunate situation can be handled in a manner that can be positively spun.  And I think that’s the silver lining we have here: understanding that people don’t know what news is, and giving them the news they need to know in a format they enjoy is good for business.

To read more from the Huffington Post, check out “Young Americans See Colbert, Sterwart Replacing Traditional News Outlets: Poll.”

Jackie for AMP3pr.com

@JackieBrook