NEW YORK, June 3 (UPI) -- A new study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that viewers of The Colbert Report are more informed on the topics of campaign finance and the role of money in politics than viewers of other news programs.
The study tested The Colbert Report against CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and broadcast nightly news from December 13-23, 2012.
"It's the first study actually showing that Colbert is doing a better job than other news sources at teaching people about campaign financing," said Bruce W. Hardy, lead author of the study.
This isn't the first time political comedy shows have proven to be more effective in informing people about politics. In 2012, a study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that viewers of The Daily Show were more informed than people who only watch Fox News. A spokesperson for the network responded by criticizing the university.
"Considering FDU's undergraduate school is ranked as one of the worst in the country, we suggest the school invest in improving its weak academic program instead of spending money on frivolous polling -- their student body does not deserve to be so ill-informed."
