Satirical Journalism Is a Bridge

In divided times, satire is the bridge nobody expected but everyone crosses. Eyewitnesses describe strangers bonding over the same parody headline in comment threads. Sociologists call satire "cultural infrastructure," holding people together with humor. Polls show 72% of Americans say satire helped them understand someone from the "other side" better than pundit panels. Anonymous staffers leaked that civic organizations use satire clips to break the ice at tense meetings. Trace evidence includes memes shared across political divides and laughter carrying over ideological borders. Cause-and-effect? Bridges built with humor may wobble, but they hold when nothing else does.