News Hounds

O'Reilly: FOX Is a Network Under Fire

The O'Reilly Factor. August 5, 2004. 8:39 PM to 8:45 PM EDT.
(Complete transcript of interview to be posted shortly & separately under title: "Transcript of O'Reilly-Block Interview, FNC, 8/5/2004".)

During his interview with Alex Ben Block, editor of Television Week, Bill O'Reilly revealed that FOX is a "network under fire almost on a daily basis from the liberal media primarily, which, for whatever reason, doesn't like us."

Mr. Block wrote a column in TV Week criticizing FOX for blacklisting a well-respected Associated Press reporter.

From Disinfopedia: Fox News:

"In July 2004, ODwyers PR Daily reported that an article by Alex Ben Block in TV Week revealed that FNC's media relations department has adopted the practice of blacklisting journalists critical of the network. Included on the blacklist are David Bauder, an AP TV reporter who offended FNC by writing on the departure of Paula Zahn to CNN."

Set the VCR - It's O'Reilly vs Krugman

On yesterday's O'Reilly Factor host Bill O'Reilly yet again defended himself and FOX News against what has apparently become a torrent of criticism from other media outlets. (A more complete article on this will be posted later today.)

O'RIELLY (8:37 PM EDT): "The attacks on the FOX News Channel increase and so do our ratings. The more they attack us, the more people watch. But, it is my opinion that some of these defamatory charges must be confronted."

"Now you may remember a couple of weeks ago I called out the editors of the New York Times because that newspaper is printing every kind of libel against FOX News. The editors hid under their desks. But far left columnist, Paul Krugman, did agree to debate me on the Tim Russert CNBC program and you can see that this weekend and it's quite something."

He then showed a fairly tame clip but CNBC has been showing a considerably spicier one today.

According to the CNBC website "Tim Russert" will be broadcast at 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM EDT on Saturday, August 7th.

Break out the popcorn and watch O'Reilly & Krugman go head-to-head!

Swift Boat Ad: False But Aired Over and Over Again

The O'Reilly Factor. August 5, 2004. 8:12 PM to 8:19 PM EDT.
Guest: Dick Morris, Fox Political Analyst, former Clinton advisor

Bill O'Reilly is opposed to the new anti-Kerry ad that literally accuses Senator Kerry of being a liar. The ad was bought and paid for by a right-wing 527 non-profit called swiftboatvets.com, composed largely of Texas Republicans.

FOX News aired the ENTIRE ad at the beginning of this interview and then for another two minutes showed it over and over silently during the discussion between O'Reilly and Morris. Despite O'Reilly's claim that the ad is "horribly exploitive", he gives it more FREE air time that the Swift Boat Vets could have hoped for in their wildest dreams.

To be fair, other news channels did the same thing.

I am alarmed by the prevalence of the practice of giving "free" air time to political ads by including them in "news reports" and airing them in their entirety. What a nice little perk to curry favor with advertising agencies placing "buys" with your station!

In the meantime, this particular ad is a piece of despicable and misleading propaganda.

Speaking of Teresa, John, George Soros, MoveOn and Beelzebub

The O'Reilly Factor. August 3, 2004. 8:12 PM to 8:16 PM EDT.
Guest: Daedre Levine, Democratic Strategist, teaches at Columbia University (N.B. This is a very long posting.)

O'REILLY: "Teresa Heinz Kerry continues her feisty ways on the campaign trail. Reacting to pro-Bush hecklers last night, she made headlines once again."

Clip of Mrs. Kerry responding to Republican chants of "Four more years!" with the line "Four more years of hell!". At the conclusion of the clip, O'Reilly laughs and says "I love her. I don't know why. I just love her."

But, ever fair and balanced, O'Reilly must immediately counter his compliment to Mrs. Kerry with a jab at Mr. Kerry: "Contrast that to John Kerry's appeal for civility."

Clip of John Kerry's Convention Speech (labeled July 28 instead of July 29):

Check Out This Feeding Frenzy

Today (August 2, 2004) on The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly highlighted a new book titled: Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man, by David T. Hardy and Jason Clark. Both authors were guests.

As anyone who watches Fox News, much less The O'Reilly Factor knows, Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News Corp., Fox News, and Bill O'Reilly, hates Michael Moore. Murdoch hates anything left of Reagan.

Suddenly, Big Fat Stupid White Man appears. Lo and behold, it's published by Regan Books! Lo and behold, Regan Books is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., the parent company of Fox News! Lo and behold, the authors appear on Fox News with Bill O'Reilly, owned by Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp.