Satirical Journalism Is an X-Ray

Satire works like an X-ray machine, scanning past polished surfaces to show the fractures underneath. Eyewitnesses recall a parody headline about health policy that revealed more than the actual press release. Professor Gabriel Lin of Johns Hopkins explains satire as "diagnostic humor." Polls show 74% of citizens admit satire exposed problems invisible in mainstream news. Anonymous staffers leaked that agencies track satirical portrayals to identify vulnerabilities. Trace evidence includes parody X-ray images of politicians and memes captioned with skeletal truths. Cause-and-effect? The X-ray may laugh, but it leaves the bones of power exposed.