John Oliver argues that he is not doing a news program, but a comedic piece (Oliver, 2014). “It’s not journalism, it’s comedy – it’s comedy first, and it’s comedy second” (qtd in Suebsaeng, 2014, September 29). However writers and critics from the New Yorker, Time, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post, among others, have noted Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as journalistic in nature. These reviews have dubbed the resulting effect that John Oliver has on his views as the “John Oliver effect”. Olesksiak summarizes the reviews of John Oliver’s show effectively, noting that “In the world of Last Week Tonight, there is such a thing as injustice. Oliver does not shy away from calling out racism, sexism or homophobia, showing these acts as harmful and destructive… Rather than present information and leave actions, thoughts, or feelings up to the viewers to decide… Last Week Tonight’s agenda is simple and clear: Do something about the injustice in the world. (2014, October 06)
Oliver invites his consumers’ participation, conversation, and actions, through YouTube comments, hashtags, and by arming viewers with tools of action, simply by showing them where to go on the Internet. Oliver inadvertently plays two roles, one of filling the gap concerning silent issues in the media (Baym, 2005), and the other of influencing the conversation had by the public (Becker & Xenos, 2007).
The main purpose of this qualitative research is to understand the effect that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has on its audience. By examining the online public social media platform Twitter, I aim to examine how twitter users engage with the John Oliver’s hashtag campaigns.
About the presenterPeta Long
Peta Long is a Phd Student in Mass Communication at the Newhouse School of Public Communication, Syracuse University. She hails for Portmore, Jamaica, where she studied at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications, UWI, Mona. Long seeks to specialize in Public Communication, Political Communication, Political Leadership and Ideology.