Ana Kasparian is a co-host and producer of the online news show, The Young Turks. She is on Twitter.

Stewart often humbly denies his influence as a journalist, but poll after poll showed that many Americans turned to him for more than a chuckle — they trusted his comedic way of analyzing the news and the people who report it.

Even Republicans turned to him for more than a chuckle — they trusted his comedic way of analyzing the news and the people who report it.

A 2015 Reuters poll revealed how Stewart also successfully gained traction among those outside his liberal core audience, with a whopping 42 percent of Republican respondents reporting that Stewart generally shares their world view. The opposite can be said of Bill O’Reilly, who is widely admired among his core group of Republican viewers (57 percent) but compels little admiration among non-Republicans (24 percent).

The fact that Stewart had his own take on the news didn’t turn people off to him. That type of transparency resonates with audiences. Stewart was the one who proved that, when it comes to the news, objectivity and neutrality are not synonyms, a concept most members of the media seem to have difficulty understanding. Regardless of his political ideology, Stewart was never afraid to criticize members of both the red or blue teams depending on how they failed the constituents they were elected to represent.

Stewart served as a breath of fresh air and inspiration for me and my colleagues at "The Young Turks." We confess our liberal leanings, but are also quick to criticize liberal wrong-doings in Congress. We don't want to pander based on political affiliation, or obsess over neutrality. We strive for authenticity, and the success of "The Daily Show" modeled a proven strategy for us.

Those who are lucky enough to have a platform have the most important responsibility — to provide people with the critical information they need to be savvy voters and citizens. But as politicians continue to act divisively, the press has unfortunately followed the trend. Stewart showed that when you refuse to go along with the status quo, you become a trusted name in news.



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