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<div id="pastingspan1" style="text-align: right; "><span style="  text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong><em>Photo Credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com</em></strong></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">What do you get when you combine satire with political news? The voice of a generation.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">In 1996, Comedy Central debuted <em>The Daily Show</em>, a pop-culture news and information program. Hosted by comedian and former ESPN <em>SportsCenter</em> anchor Craig Kilborn, the show helped make the network a household name. Kilborn rode the program&#8217;s success all the way to becoming the host of <em>The Late, Late Show</em> on CBS in 1998.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">With the program at a crossroads, executives turned to Jon Stewart.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Stewart, a stand-up comedian known at the time for his work with MTV, took over <em><a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/1mw3wd/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-michael-j--fox?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-the-daily-show-turned-millennials-on-to-politics-2926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Daily Show</a></em> in 1999. Under Stewart, the program shifted its focus from tabloid news to a blend of daily top news stories and politics. His wit, intelligence and honesty proved to be a winning combination among one of the most desirable demographics&#8212;millennials.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; "><em>The Daily Show</em> reached new heights in the months shortly after his takeover.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Following his arrival, the show began gearing up for one of the hottest news topics of the year&#8212;the 2000 Presidential Election. Putting a new twist on political coverage, Stewart and his team of &#8220;correspondents&#8221; spoofed the election and the primaries, capturing the attention of young viewers with what they termed &#8220;Indecision 2000.&#8221;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&#8220;Indecision 2000&#8221; helped launch the careers of some of the most recognizable comedians today. As &#8220;correspondents&#8221; and &#8220;commentators&#8221;&#8212; <a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/78euyp/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-indecision-2000---mccain-campaign-bus?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-the-daily-show-turned-millennials-on-to-politics-2926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Carell</a>, <a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/kqzn1s/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-indecision-2000---florida-to-decide-it?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-the-daily-show-turned-millennials-on-to-politics-2926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Colbert</a> and <a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/3bfxkb/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-back-in-black---election?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-the-daily-show-turned-millennials-on-to-politics-2926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lewis Black</a> to name a few&#8212;presented a unique take on American politics by way of their comedy stylings. Stewart quickly became the uncompromising alternative to the traditional news anchors that parents and grandparents tuned-in to see nightly. Meantime, the program&#8217;s unbiased approach to enlightening viewers through facts and comedy was a refreshing take on news.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Not only had <em>The Daily Show</em> become the go-to outlet for a new generation to become informed, but its host, Stewart, became the trusted voice of an era.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">An Aug. 6, 2015, story in <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/08/06/jon-stewart-millennials-gop-debate/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-the-daily-show-turned-millennials-on-to-politics-2926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Fortune</em></a> notes that many millennials and Generation-Xers found Stewart to be &#8220;humble and unassuming.&#8221; But what made Stewart even more endearing was his willingness to callout both conservatives and liberals without pulling punches.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Tha same <em>Fortune</em> article touched on an interesting point: &#8220;America&#8217;s 20 and early 30-somethings have never, as adults, experienced a presidential election or major world event that was not narrated or critiqued by Jon Stewart.&#8221; He and <em>The Daily Show</em> truly became the voice of a generation.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Stewart left the program after more than 16 years in August 2015, but not before he and <em>The Daily Show</em> earned numerous honors and recognitions, including 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards.</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">In Stewart&#8217;s battle for sharing news, he won over the hearts and minds of a generation using sincerity as his weapon and humor as his Band-Aid.&nbsp;</div>

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Jon Stewart and his band of 'correspondents' became the unequivocal voice of a generation.

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