From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A pundit is, in contemporary English, someone who offers mass-media opinion, analysis or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis, the social sciences or sport), on which they are presumed to be knowledgeable. As the term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities lacking special expertise, however, it can be used in a derogative manner. Pundit is also a slang term for politically biased people pretending to be neutral.

The term originates from the Hindi term pandit, which in turn is derived from Sanskrit pandita, learned, and is first found in English in 1672.^[1] It refers to someone who is erudite in various subjects and who conducts religious ceremonies and offers counsel to the king or mayor.

The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first English Language use of the word "Pundit" as referring to an official of the Supreme Court in Colonial India who advised the English Judges on questions of Hindu law. In Anglo-Indian use, "pundit" also referred to a native of India who was trained and employed by the British to survey inaccessible regions beyond the British frontier. By extension, the word came to refer to, "A learned expert or teacher"

Speculation exists that the term's contemporary use may have its origins in a Yale University society known as "The Pundits" which, founded in 1884, developed a reputation for including among its members the school's most incisive and humorous critics of contemporary society. The group's late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century focus on lampooning the social and political world were well-documented in the university's yearbook and the Yale Daily News, the entries of which are considered among the first use of the term "Pundit" to refer to a critic of or expert on contemporary matters. Several members of the society have also gone on to become leading political pundits, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author and energy expert Daniel Yergin. Other notable Yale Pundits include A. Whitney Griswold, Lewis H. Lapham and Joe Lieberman.

In the English-speaking West, pundits write signed articles in print media (blurbs included), and appear on radio, television, or the internet to opine on current events. Television pundits may also be referred to as talking heads.

In the strict use of the term, a "pundit" has recognized expertise in a particular field. The term, however, increasingly refers to popular media personalities who express opinions without necessarily holding recognized expertise in the area on which they opine. In recent years in the US, with the increased popularity of prose, television and radio personalities such as Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, pundits are increasingly seen not as experts, but as ideological partisans who tend to do more ranting than measured commentary. They are often accused of being politically biased, and of using informal logic in fallacious ways. This perception has caused the term "pundit" to take on derogatory overtones, with more of the sense of an arrogant loudmouth than an educated commentator. Thus, the term has begun to take on a negative connotations and is often used as a term of disparagement. There is a perception that the popularity of punditry has become harmful to journalism, as many perceive it as another example of news devolving further towards entertainment and away from reporting.

For a partial listing of pundits in the print media in North America, see the article newspaper columnists.

The term pundit is also used to refer to sports experts.^[2] Often, a 'pundit' will be partnered alongside a commentator, who will describe the action while asking the pundit for analysis. Alternatively, pundits may be asked for their opinions during breaks in the play.

Comedian Stephen T. Colbert satires punditry in his show, The Colbert Report, most notably satirizing Bill O'Reilly but is a composite of others as well.

This is a list of some contemporary pundits:

• Australia
  • Phil Cleary
  • Germaine Greer

• Canada
  • Michael Coren

• United Kingdom
  • David Aaronovitch
  • Vanessa Feltz
  • Germaine Greer
  • Christopher Hitchens
  • Peter Hitchens
  • John McCririck
  • George Monbiot
  • Melanie Phillips

• United States
  • Glenn Beck
  • Tucker Carlson
  • Stephen Colbert
  • Alan Colmes
  • Ann Coulter
  • Roger Ebert
  • Nancy Grace
  • Sean Hannity
  • Christopher Hitchens
  • Bill Maher
  • Michelle Malkin
  • Chris Matthews
  • Tina McClaran
  • Norah O'Donnell
  • Keith Olbermann
  • Bill O'Reilly
  • Tim Russert
  • Joe Scarborough
  • Michael Savage

1. ^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
2. ^ Your World Cup: Join our pundit panels, BBC News, 2006-04-19.