This isn’t a brand-new development, but it’s relevant so who cares? The Daily Show lately has included reports from Rob Riggle in Iraq. (Really in Iraq.)

He was there with fellow comedians Horatio Sanz and Paul Scheer on a USO tour.

Just sayin’… even though he literally just happens to be in Iraq at the moment and they’re double-dipping a bit, the Daily Show is parroting even more elements of a real news program. Except that not a lot of news programs would have a correspondent who was also working for the USO.

…

So here’s another thing.

“Whatever sells papers.”

OK, this is spilling out of our usual range of discussion, but I feel that my fearless readers will read or ignore with the same zeal as always, regardless.

I recognize that the news industry is commercialized in new ways, that there’s a lot of suspicion of news organizations’ motives — I understand all of that. But last night on the Daily Show, Jon Stewart asked Barack Obama about being caught in a “narrative” wherein Obama is portrayed as likeable but inexperienced whereas his opponent, Hillary Clinton, is portrayed as experienced but unlikeable. Obama said, sure, that’s what’s happening now and it’s frustrating. He also said he imagined that the narrative might change soon. Stewart asked what it’d be next. Obama said, “Whatever sells papers.”

Look. I think it might just be a little egotistical to think that very much in the presidential primary process right now is selling papers. It’s August. I care. Maybe you care. But most of the country doesn’t care. Most of the country is caught up in worrying about whether bridges in their communities are safe or whether buildings are up to fire code in their hometowns.

But I can’t say that for sure. So I’m going to go ahead and ask some experts and I’ll get back to you.