Princeton’s ‘Media Literacy’ visits The Daily Show on election day

From Zohran Mamdani TikToks to Finland’s former Prime Minister, students in “Media Literacy: What to Read and Believe in the Age of AI” saw it all at The Daily Show on Tuesday. The seminar class arrived in New York City around 3 p.m. that afternoon and checked into the studio an hour later.

Bhavan Aulakh ’26 told The Daily Princetonian that he had never seen an episode of The Daily Show before the course and “didn’t really know what to expect.” Before the real show even began, a warm-up act that set a far more humorous tone than he had foreseen took the stage.

“It was a guy who came out from the back and just engaged the crowd,” he said. “My friend … told him that we’re from Princeton, and they made a load of jokes about that.”

The comedy format of the show, which was hosted by Jordan Klepper, was original for many who were used to consuming hard news.

“I didn’t know that Andrew Cuomo was riding around in a Ford Bronco trying to get votes. I also didn’t know that Zohran Mamdani was walking around and going to clubs and parties,” said Tamara Aguetse ’27. “These are things that I wouldn’t have known.”

“Going to these types of experiences allows you to gain something, but also have a laugh,” she added. “All of the information is now condensed and more palatable, in a way, so it’s easier for you to digest all that information.”

The course’s professor, Joe Stephens, echoed that comedians are sometimes thought of as “pretend journalists,” but that “a lot of people actually learn about current events from the shows.”

Stephens noted that this is “the first time the Center for Human Values has offered a media literacy course,” and said the opportunity to teach the course was a dream of his. “I am learning such an incredible amount in the course. I should be paying the students,” he said.

Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the ‘Prince.’ Donate now »

For Misa Mims ’27, the highlight of the trip was watching an interview with Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin. “In my head, I have to keep reminding myself this is not just a TV personality. This is the [former] prime minister of Finland that’s sitting in front of us right now,” she said.

“Most people would probably emphasize the fact that she’s a woman and obviously a world leader … but she’s also a trailblazer,” Mims added.

Stephens emphasized the importance of this content within the context of nationwide political duress, citing the current wave of “attacks on comedians and political commentators like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert” as a reason why “the opportunity to see free speech in action was really invaluable.”

He added, “These are voices that some public officials would like to silence, and we were able to witness that dynamic playing out up close and in real time.”

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Haeon Lee is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Brooklyn, N.Y. and can be reached at hl1389[at]princeton.edu.

Devon Rudolph is an associate News editor and staff Sports writer. She is from Fairfax, Va. and typically directs investigative coverage. She can be reached at dr7917[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.