I still hear people talking about getting news from comedy shows like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report as though it’s a budding trend. Sorry folks, but in The Future 2.0, which we are in, a show that debuted in 1996 and still exists is hereby a standard. Ipso facto, coitus interruptus.

It’s established enough that, over the next ten months or so, I’m going to try to look in greater detail at the way that news and humor interact, what that means for people who get their news that way, what it means for people in the news business and maybe, if I’m feeling ambitious or naive — both, if I’m lucky — what it means for us as a people.

Apologies in advance.

Hey, here’s Sunday again. That means more journalism nerdery (and general nerdery) distilled right here for you. And maybe I’ll even write some jokes this week. No promises. On to the good stuff:

Can’t drive in Beijing. Not for four days. Seriously, they’ve gone and banned it in an effort to get people to try public transportation. What an idea!

The experiment will see 1.3 million fewer cars on the city’s busy streets, and officials hope for some change in their notoriously smoggy skies. Commuters — who face a $13 fine if they violate the rule — can take advantage of taxis, extra buses, and expanded subway hours.

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