Things You'll Need:
- Newspaper subscriptions
- C-SPAN
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Step 1
Spend at least an hour every morning surveying the nation's top print media such as the "New York Times," "Washington Post" and "Los Angeles Times." Often the stories you find will be a wellspring of new material.
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Step 2
Watch and record the televised appearances of political figures in press conferences, wire stories and on C-SPAN (see Resources below). Primary sources in particular can help you gain some humorous insight into the absurdity of our national government.
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Step 3
Check the Web for political stories that may have slipped past the mainstream media. Often hidden nuggets like these offer Jon Stewart his most satisfying "gotcha" moments.
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Step 1
Create a forum in print or in person that allows you to try out your political material in front of people you trust.
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Step 2
Employ clips, quotes and other solid evidence for the points you make, being sure to couch even the most ardent political points in humor and irony.
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Step 3
Maintain a healthy apoplexia at the misdeeds of the political elite and be sure your audience feels included in your outrage as fellow travelers.
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Step 4
Consider throwing to friends or other sources for moments of true satire. Typically Jon Stewart has his correspondents adopt a clearly wrong or indefensible position so that he can play off them as the "straight man."
