Taking note of Fox pundits' assessments, Colbert informed mainstream media: "It's a World War III. Or IV"

Summary: Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert -- highlighting a trend noted by Media Matters for America -- aired a series of clips of Fox News hosts and guests declaring the current crisis in the Middle East "World War III," and in one case, "World War IV." Colbert then instructed the rest of the media: "It's a World War III. Or IV. Adjust your graphics accordingly."

On the July 17 edition of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, host Stephen Colbert aired a series of clips of Fox News hosts and guests declaring the current crisis in the Middle East "World War III," and in one case, "World War IV." Colbert then instructed the rest of the media: "It's a World War III. Or IV. Adjust your graphics accordingly." As Media Matters for America has noted, members of the right-wing media -- including Fox News hosts John Gibson, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity, Fox News political contributor and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), and American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Michael Ledeen -- have been quick to label the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East a world war, but have disagreed about which war is currently being fought.

Colbert added of the Fox pundits declaring a world war: "Remember, these guys know war. They're the ones who brought you the 'war on Christmas.' So, rest of the news media, stop calling it a regional conflict or a police action."

From a segment of the July 17 edition of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, first flagged by the weblog Crooks and Liars:

COLBERT: All right, those of you following the Iraq war on television know that it's been pre-empted by the action-packed summer replacement series "Lebanon." It's new. It's new. It's scary. But it's important for everyone to remain calm and keep the situation in perspective.

[begin video clip]

GINGRICH: Look at all the different connectivity. You'd have to say to yourself, this is in fact World War III.

GIBSON: World War III.

O'REILLY: World War III, right?

GIBSON: This is World War III.

O'REILLY: World War III.

HANNITY: The start of World War III.

LEDEEN: More like World War IV.

[end video clip]

COLBERT: It's a world war. Remember, these guys know war. They're the ones who brought you the "war on Christmas." So, rest of the news media, stop calling it a regional conflict or a police action. It's a World War III. Or IV. Adjust your graphics accordingly.

—R.D.