The MSM And The Daily Show

A reader writes:

Your criticism of cable news has been particularly apt as events unfold in Iran, but last evening, I was really struck by The Daily Show's unique-- perhaps symbiotic-- relationship with the cable news networks.  Recently, Jon Stewart has been rather critical of cable news-- all anti-Obama all the time on Fox, the Rush Limbaugh obsession of MSNBC's evening lineup, Starbucks sponsorship of Morning Joe, and CNN begging viewers to email/text/twitter/vote/

facebook...  Yet, last evening I watched part of Campbell Brown's interview with Jason Jones, who had just returned from Tehran.  When I tuned in to MSNBC to watch Rachel Maddow, I caught the end of Keith Olbermann's interview with John Hodgman. 

Finally, The Daily Show presented interviews Jason Jones conducted during his visit to Tehran-- interviews with three men, former foreign minister Ebrahim Yazdi, cleric Mohammad Ali Abtahi, and Newsweek's Maziar Bahari, all of whom have since been arrested.  As a follow-up, Jon Stewart interviewed Ebrahim Yazdi's son, who offered some personal insight.  Jones interviews from Tehran were standard Daily Show fare, but the interview with Yazdi's son was more sober.  Nonetheless, The Daily Show managed to provide access to compelling and notable figures, and Campbell Brown and Keith Olbermann managed to provide access to The Daily Show...