The Daily Show host nails it repeatedly in this brilliant analysis of how the media covered the shooting dead of Michael Brown.
The death of an unarmed 18-year-old African American man named Michael Brown via the gun of a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9 was not just a personal tragedy. It also opened up a huge debate in American media about race relations between the public and police, while the subsequent riots dominated the airwaves as talking heads discussed what the fallout meant for the wider American society.
At the height of the coverage, The Daily Show was on holiday, so Jon Stewart wasn’t on air to cover it but on his return earlier this week, he tackled the matter head on, in his own unique way.
Beginning with a fine spoof of the Ice Bucket Challenge, Stewart went on to take US media, especially Fox News, to task over their coverage of the shooting and aftermath and his central point was their inability to see things from the point of view of the average African American.
This is illustrated with the usual mix of clips, clever quips from Stewart and then, the hammer blow of a seriously impactful finish. It was Stewart at his powerful best, and the best thing we have seen on the Ferguson situation this summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUi2A6tUYQk&feature=youtu.be
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