Between two schools, a debate on ‘news comedy’

Should the rise of ‘news comedy’ — the sort made popular by the likes of television host John Oliver — be celebrated in today’s time? The topic was at the centre of a vigorous debate between students of two schools, held in the city Friday. The two finalists were Doon School and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, selected after several rounds that saw participation from over 30 schools from across the country.

“The coming of the news comedy shows the failure of the mass media and the rise of fake news. News comedy should be celebrated as it is accessible, provides in-depth knowledge of an issue, and breeds larger participation,” said a student of Doon School, which argued in favour of the motion.

The school’s students also credited ‘news comedy’ for being accurate and emerging as a viable alternative to traditional media. Participants from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, on the other hand, stated that the concept of news comedy is biased and presents “just one school of thought”.

“News Comedy tends to ridicule other schools of thought through presence of vocalisation. The traditional media and news as the fourth pillar of democracy is equally engaging and presents the facts objectively,” said Ishita Jain, a student leading her team. The debate, part of the 19th edition of the Vasant Valley School English Debate for the India Today Cup, lasted 45 minutes, after which students of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya emerged victorious.