The Daily Gamecock

Jon Stewart stepping down from 'The Daily Show'

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After 16 years of hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart is stepping down, effective later this year.

Stewart took over hosting duties of “The Daily Show” in 1999 from Craig Kilborn. Under Stewart, the show switched from pop-culture jokes to commenting on news and politics with a humorous spin.

“The Daily Show” has enjoyed great success with younger viewers under Stewart. Though Stewart has consistently claimed that his show isn’t a news source, many go to it for news from a source that they feel is trustworthy.

"I do think that the general sense of our show as somehow being more authentic or having integrity is based almost purely on a dissatisfaction with traditional journalism," Stewart told New York Magazine.

The show's alumni have created a wide-ranging legacy. Steve Carell and Rob Corddry graduated from “The Daily Show” correspondents to major film and television stars, starring in “The Office” and “Children’s Hospital,” respectively. Stephen Colbert and John Oliver, two of the show’s most prominent correspondents, went on to create “The Colbert Report” and “Last Week Tonight,” two shows that continued “The Daily Show”-style commentary on news and politics.

Stewart recently wrote and directed “Rosewater,” a film about Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari’s imprisonment by the Iranian government. Its 2014 release was Stewart’s directorial debut.

"Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come,” Comedy Central said in a statement after the news broke.


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