Laughing at the News: Comedy Writers Speak

by Mike Hall, May 5, 2009

Jon Stewart or Katie Couric? Jay Leno or Charles Gibson? David Letterman or Brian Williams? A growing number of people are choosing Jon, Jay and David as their sources for news while the anchor class and newsmakers are turning up more often on the late night sets and in the skits.

On Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) will explore this change in the public’s news consuming habits and the

growing synergy between Washington, Wall Street, the media, and the late night comedy/variety programs.

Billed as “Writers Speak! A Potentially Regrettable Evening With Comedy Writers,” comedy writers from the top late night and “fake news” shows will perform stand up routines and then lead a panel discussion, moderated by WGAE President Michael Michael Winship, who is also senior writer for “Bill Moyers Journal.” Says Winship:

The stand-up will be about laughs and not about policy, but the message for Washington will be serious. The evening will draw public attention to the role writers play in shaping the national dialogue.

This isn’t the first time the writers’ union has come to the nation’s capital to use comedy to spotlight more serious issues. Last year, writers from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” staged a mock debate between the then-striking WGAE and Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Moderated by Dee Dee Myers and hosted by members of Congress, the mock debate used humor to draw widespread congressional, public and media attention to the issues involved in the 100-day strike.

For more information, contact events@wgaeast.org.

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