This is becoming almost a daily thing. But that shouldn't be a big surprise at this point. On last night's The O'Reilly Factor, the FOX News host said this:
"If FOX News is the dominant number one rated cable network, and our presentation appeals to millions, why are we hammered in the press? The answer, of course, is ideology.
We can't find one TV critic in the United States of America, not one who isn't a liberal or a registered Democrat. Most are committed liberals, who dislike us for giving conservative and traditional Americans a fair shot.
By the way, if you know of a non-liberal TV critic, please let us know because we always want to be fair and balanced."
I want to write here that he's so obviously wrong that it's crazy, but it's so obvious that it's not worth mentioning (oh, sorry, I just mentioned it). But I'm wondering why anyone at FOX - or any other news outlet, whether it's CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, C-SPAN, TNT, or Animal Planet) would even bother to take the time to check into whether TV critics around the country are liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between. And then to top it off, he makes gigantic statements like "we can't find one critic in the United States of America, not one who isn't liberal or a registered Democrat..." I'd love to know how they would check on such a thing. There must be hundreds of TV critics around the country.
Bill O'Reilly is either a liar, someone making an outlandish statement for attention, or a bad investigative journalist (and one that should be concentrating on other things than what party a TV critic belongs to or some "war on Christmas"). Of course, he's not a journalist. He's a guy with talk show on cable. That's all.
It's amazing that he says that he's fair and balanced and responsible and that his show is a "no spin zone," then he makes an outrageous statement like this. It's also proof that he wants to divide this country, into "liberal and conservative," "us and them," and "we're right and they're wrong." What, are conservative TV critics supposed to send him an e-mail to dispute his theory? I doubt many will, because if they watch his show and like it, then they'll want to keep this myth going and not contradict him. But I hope someone does contradict him. Of course, if they do, he'll just say "oh, we only found a couple" or 5 or 7 or 30 or whatever the number turns out to be. Then he can say in an update on his show, "so, we found some conservative TV critics and we thank them for responding, but the fact remains that 97%* of all TV critics are liberal and they hate us. That's a fact."
*Or whatever number he makes up.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
12-21-2006 @ 3:16PM
TVblogger said...
Well, I'm a TV critic and I'm not a registered Democrat. So, he's wrong there.
"Bill O'Reilly is either a liar, someone making an outlandish statement for attention, or a bad investigative journalist"
You forgot inconsiderate Douche Bag.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:03PM
mike said...
if o'reilly is so wrong bob, how come you only post negative stuff about him and praise the prickly keith olbmeran and partisan hack chris matthews?
I think o'reilly must have hit a nerve with you. cause he appears to be right.
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12-21-2006 @ 3:32PM
Bob Jones said...
You're a blogger - you don't count to Bill O, no doubt he thinks all bloggers are far-left loons funded by George Soros :P
This blog will no doubt be far-left because its owned by AOL, who were once owned by Ted Turner - the loon!
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12-21-2006 @ 3:34PM
kurt said...
You have got to love Billy. He works for the GOP-fermercial channel and still believes what he does is real news. Lighten up Billy, we don't like FOX news because FOX news doesn't like Americans. FOX news is the US equivalent of AL Jazeera.
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12-21-2006 @ 3:40PM
Mark Rabinowitz said...
I believe Michael Medved, another wingnut douchebag, is most definitely NOT a liberal or a Dem and certainly counts as a "critic."
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12-21-2006 @ 3:52PM
Emily said...
What drives me nuts about O'Reilly is the constant use of "we." Does he have a tapeworm?
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12-21-2006 @ 3:57PM
erroneous_nick said...
Yes, O'Reilly's a right-wing nut, but Olbermann's just as nuts and a left-winger, but good old Bob here's going to pull his liberal pen out again and continue to hammer O'Reilly and Fox news. But I can hear it now, I've got to be a right-wing nutjob too if I think Olbermann isn't the true "fair and balanced" one.
Dear Lord, Bob, if it's not worth mentioning then why bother? Oh that's right, it's because you're probably the main reason for this site's liberal-biased content. I'm sure you get a warm fuzzy when all the Fox bashers you know are out there line up to comment in your favor, too.
Why not cover some actual entertainment instead of all the "pot stirrers"? Television is a lot of things, but what it does best is provide some nice, escapist entertainment. To hell with all this divisive crap.
There, Keith. I'm not accusing your site of a liberal bias, but pointing to a specific individual as you've said you prefer. Bob's one of them and probably enjoys pissing off those of us who'd prefer not to see his type of preference in the voting booth.
Really now, who gives a flying fart what Bill or Keith think anyway when there's so many better things on to watch? The only reason to even think of commenting on this is for a little divisive fun and Bob really gets off on it.
Thanks, Bob, for making this site a little less friendly to a lot of us.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:30PM
1L said...
kurt
Please explain how Fox news is similar to Al Jazeera.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:00PM
Chris said...
Well, I'm a conservative and I think he's a [self-censored] idiot. Then again I think all the talking heads and all the news channels are pretty worthless. Bob, you really should've been smarter than this. You just gave him the attention he craves.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:15PM
Adam said...
Good liberal responses everyone, I don't agree with his statement but Fox is a nice balance to:
C linton
N ews
N etwork
A lways
B ringing ya
C rap
N othing
B ut
C rap
C onstant
B ull
S hit
I hope you find this funny, but if not that Merry Christ mas.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:34PM
Rob said...
O'Reilly is a self-satisfied blowhard, and frequently delusional, but anyone who thinks the media isn't overwhelmingly liberal (about 9 to 1, at least in print media) is A) full of it and B) a liberal. Although these characteristics usually go hand-in-hand.
TV critics, News anchors, college professors, government employees, your Aunt Edna: all are liberals and all are tolerated but never liked.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:35PM
elf said...
Erroneous_nick, you're entitled to your opinions, as are both O'Reilly and Olbermann. They get paid to broadcast theirs. You are free to call Olbermann whatever names and insults you like. However, what I'd like to point out what I feel is the significant difference between the two of them: Olbermann starts with facts and reaches a conclusion. When Olbermann presents an opinion he clearly presents his case starting with facts then presents historical comparisons and other relevant information. If you don't agree with Olbermann's conclusions, that's fine. I've disagreed with his in the past myself. O'Reilly starts with a conclusion then tries to find facts to fit his conclusion, and in the absence of facts, either exaggerates, using one or two incidents as proof of a sweeping trend, intentionally misstates events or just pulls stuff out of his ass.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:44PM
Doug said...
Doesn't anyone realize that while Fox News is sooo against media leaning towards the left, having your own media lean to the right is just as bad? Remember that old saying - two wrongs don't make a right.
Fox News is just as bias as the networks slam for being bias to begin with. Every time O'Reilly bitches about that he's only pounding his own credibility into the ground even further.
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12-21-2006 @ 4:51PM
Amy said...
O'Reilly made the clarification on his radio program that obviously wasn't stated on the TV side OR was conveniently forgotten in quotes: he is speaking specifically of critics who work FOR newspapers across the country, not syndicated columnists or bloggers.
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12-21-2006 @ 5:15PM
Tim said...
Completely leaving his politics aside, Bill O'Reilly is a giant blowhard whose only goal is to pack his program with as much of his own ego as is electronically possible.
However, he has plenty of company. The hosts of all the cable talking heads shows, the network talking heads shows, and the syndicated talking heads shows, are exactly the same.
There are few journalists left on television these days. Most "news" programs have turned into wall-to-wall editorials.
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12-21-2006 @ 5:32PM
Chris W said...
Not to give FOX more credit than it deserves, but while most news outlets have an arguably left-leaning bias, FOX News makes no excuses for how "conservative" and right wing they are. "No-Spin" and "Fair and Balanced" are gimmicks and catch phrases; FOX knows that, their anchors know that, and their viewers know that. Meanwhile the CNNs and MSNBCs, by not having a stated agenda, are going to come off worse when they constantly report from the left. And this is not to say that one side is better than the other, because anyone who knows journalism knows that objectivity is just an imaginary benchmark. Everyone frames their story in one way or another; the difference is, some actually fess up to it.
On the plus side, at least there's content out there for everybody...
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12-21-2006 @ 5:43PM
Joebediah said...
Even though it's a safe assumption that I do not agree with erroneous_nick's political ideology, I would have to agree that I do not want left-leaning, right-leaning, or moderate political posts on this site.
I know there are probably quotas for the posters to meet, but I don't believe it's worth it as politics usually brings out the worst in people.
Unless there was maybe some specific legislation brought up that would affect TV, I would leave these subjects to the other blogs out there.
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12-21-2006 @ 5:43PM
Patel said...
Another BS post.
That's Bob Sasone North East Liberal Elitist.
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12-21-2006 @ 5:51PM
erroneous_nick said...
Thanks, Joebediah, for chiming in on what's probably my main point. I visit TV sites for the entertainment that's on TV. I don't even watch news on television any more, save for a few moments here and there or when maybe there's some "breaking news" (and we all know how overused that phrase is).
I'm here for the TV, not the politics. You and I are on the same side of the aisle when it comes to that topic.
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12-21-2006 @ 5:56PM
MC said...
Totally agree with Joebediah.
The key is, no matter how smart you think you might be when you talk about politics... 50% of the readers will consider you an idiot because you disagree with their intelligent and heartfelt beliefs.
Stick to the entertainment reporting. Send your politics to one of the 1 billion political blogs already in service.
That way I can avoid this stupidity and simply get my weekly dose of TV reviews and entertaining top 5 lists.
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