News-oriented comedy programs like The Daily Show are now competing with traditional news sources for political information. Audiences are turning to digital content creators over traditional journalism, with research showing that humor makes political news more memorable and shareable.
In recognition of satire’s growing impact on political communication, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas is offering a free online course, Satiric Infotainment in the Digital Age, from April 21 to May 4, 2025. This two-week course will explore how satire in magazines, TV, and digital platforms challenges traditional media and shapes political discourse globally. Registration is now open in both English and Spanish.
“In recent decades, journalism and satire have frequently crossed paths, manifesting in hybrid genres that have informed, entertained, and questioned the power and traditional media,” said Paul Alonso, an associate professor at Georgia Tech who is teaching the new Knight Center course, “Satiric Infotainment in the Digital Age.”
“I don’t think satire has replaced journalism, nor should journalism primarily aim at the satirical laugh,” he continued. “But understanding their intersections might help us appreciate the changing paths of sociopolitical communication in today’s polarized societies. In a post-network era marked by the crisis of modern journalism and the rise of social media entertainment, both reporters and entertainers might appreciate and be inspired by those alternatives.”
Alonso will start the course by considering the growth of satiric television worldwide since the beginning of the 21st century.
“In the context of 9/11, the Bush administration, the invasion of Iraq, the emergence of Fox News, and increasing polarization and public dissatisfaction with the traditional news media, US satirical news shows—such as ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ (and later, during the Obama years, ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’) and other forms of critical humor— from the emblematic ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL) to the transgressive ‘Da Ali G Show’ – became hugely popular and influential by criticizing the sociopolitical establishment and the role of the media in democracy,” Alonso said.
Their impact was transnational and their formats were adapted worldwide, including in Latin America, said Alonso, author of the new book “Digital Satire in Latin America. Online Video Humor as Hybrid Alternative Media.”
In this two-week course, participants will analyze contemporary satirical media in the Americas, use existing cases as examples and inspiration for new satirical projects, evaluate the potential benefits and risks of this format to democracy, and examine how the internet and multimedia platforms provide new alternatives for developing satire.
The asynchronous course is broken into an introduction and two weekly modules:
The course consists of video lectures by Alonso, readings and handouts, participation in discussion forums and quizzes that cover concepts from the video lectures and readings. There will also be optional live office hours on Zoom with the instructor, providing an opportunity to ask questions in real-time.
The course is designed for journalists, media practitioners, digital content creators, and other communicators interested in or working with satirical infotainment.
Like all Knight Center courses, this course is asynchronous, meaning the activities can be completed at the participant’s own pace. However, there are recommended weekly deadlines so participants don’t fall behind.
So, don’t waste any time in registering for this new free course. Sign up today. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next one to make us all laugh.