<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Media literacy campaigns champion systematic thinking and high elaboration in the fight against fake news. However, they often overlook an ancient tool for discrediting demagogues and destroying disinformation: satire. This essay explores how satirist Stephen Colbert used irony in his 2010 congressional testimony, arguing that Colbert’s shift from Socratic to Sophistic irony encouraged listeners to think for themselves through a more central information-processing route. The essay concludes that irony increases recognition of fake news, but warns that an overreliance on Sophistic irony undermines an appreciation of truth, and requires the reintroduction of Socratic irony as a counter balance.</p></abstract>

Media literacy campaigns champion systematic thinking and high elaboration in the fight against fake news. However, they often overlook an ancient tool for discrediting demagogues and destroying disinformation: satire. This essay explores how satirist Stephen Colbert used irony in his 2010 congressional testimony, arguing that Colbert’s shift from Socratic to Sophistic irony encouraged listeners to think for themselves through a more central information-processing route. The essay concludes that irony increases recognition of fake news, but warns that an overreliance on Sophistic irony undermines an appreciation of truth, and requires the reintroduction of Socratic irony as a counter balance.

The Necessity of Satire in Media Literacy: Stephen Colbert’s Use of Sophistic and Socratic Irony

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Media literacy campaigns champion systematic thinking and high elaboration in the fight against fake news. However, they often overlook an ancient tool for...

The Necessity of Satire in Media Literacy: Stephen Colbert’s Use of Sophistic and Socratic Irony

Published Online: Oct 29, 2018

Page range: 187 - 207

Received: Jul 21, 2018

Accepted: Aug 31, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bjlp-2018-0008

Keywords
Media Literacy, Fake News, Irony, Stephen Colbert

© 2018 Andrew C. Jones, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Necessity of Satire in Media Literacy: Stephen Colbert’s Use of Sophistic and Socratic Irony

Published Online: Oct 29, 2018

Page range: 187 - 207

Received: Jul 21, 2018

Accepted: Aug 31, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bjlp-2018-0008

KeywordsMedia Literacy, Fake News, Irony, Stephen Colbert

© 2018 Andrew C. Jones, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Media Literacy, Fake News, Irony, Stephen Colbert