O'Reilly again claimed "the media ignore[ ]" the "far-right kooks," added his own show does, too
SUMMARY: On The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly again claimed that "the media" -- including Time magazine and CNN's Larry King Live -- "ignore[]" right-wing media figures, and "so do I, unless they do something that affects you [the viewer]." In fact, these media outlets, as well as O'Reilly's show, have all featured right-wing pundits on numerous occasions, and O'Reilly himself has appeared several times on mainstream media programs such as NBC's Today.
On the May 24 broadcast of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly again claimed that "the media" -- including Time magazine and CNN's Larry King Live -- "ignore[]" right-wing media figures, and "so do I, unless they do something that affects you [the viewer]." In fact, Time, Larry King Live, and O'Reilly's own program have all featured right-wing pundits on numerous occasions, and O'Reilly himself has appeared several times on mainstream media programs such as NBC's Today.
O'Reilly was responding to a viewer's e-mail, which asked, "Bill, if you're so fair, why don't you speak out about far-right kooks," as opposed to only people O'Reilly has routinely described as "far left." O'Reilly replied, "Because they're not visible." He then added: "Are far-right people shouting down senators? Are they on the cover of Time magazine? Are they popping off on Larry King? Yes, they're out there, but the media ignores them, and so do I, unless they do something that affects you."
But neither the mainstream media nor the Factor have ignored right-wing media figures as O'Reilly claimed.
As Media Matters for America noted when O'Reilly claimed on May 22 that Time hasn't featured the "far right" on its cover, among those who have been featured on the magazine's cover are right-wing pundit Ann Coulter and Focus on the Family founder and chairman James C. Dobson.
Larry King Live has hosted several right-wing media figures as well. For instance:
- Jonah Goldberg: National Review Online editor at large Jonah Goldberg appeared on the May 18 edition of Larry King to discuss the divide within the Republican Party. Goldberg has previously defended radio host and CNN political analyst Bill Bennett's controversial comment that "you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down" by claiming "his argument wasn't about race at all." Goldberg has also distorted comments by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), called syndicated columnist Helen Thomas a "thespian carbuncle of bile," and accused former President Jimmy Carter of engaging in a "mildly ghoulish exploitation of Coretta Scott King's funeral."
- Martha Zoller: Conservative radio talk show host and author Martha Zoller appeared on Larry King on March 31 as part of a roundtable discussion of current political issues. Among other things, Zoller has a history of invoking the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to either criticize Democrats or argue in support of Republicans. For instance, during the May 2 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, Zoller invoked 9-11 to attack Comedy Central faux news host Steven Colbert for lampooning President Bush at the April 29 White House Correspondents Association's dinner. She stated: "What came to mind" was that "9-11 was a Tuesday ... and he [Colbert] didn't even think about that, but for me, having lost friends in the World Trade Towers that was the first thing I thought of." Zoller was responding to a portion of Colbert's sketch, in which, referring to Bush, Colbert stated: "The greatest thing about this man is he's steady. You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday."
- Janet Parshall: Conservative radio show host Janet Parshall appeared on the January 17 edition of Larry King to discuss the award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features, 2005), gay marriage, and other issues relating to sexual orientation. As Media Matters noted, Parshall referred to the adoption of children by same-sex couples as "state-sanctioned child abuse" and implied that the "lifestyle" of Matthew Shepard, a gay man, was partly to blame for his 1998 murder. Parshall has previously suggested that the terrorists preferred Kerry to Bush in the 2004 presidential election and revived a debunked smear about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to accuse Clinton of religious opportunism: "Hillary's already calling herself an evangelistic -- evangelical Christian. And last time around, she was Jewish. So, before it's all said and done, she will be an evangelical Jewish Muslim. Trust me."
Additionally, contrary to his claim, O'Reilly has featured many right-wing guests on his own Fox News program. Notably, O'Reilly has hosted right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin at least nine different times since January. As Media Matters has previously noted, Malkin has claimed that "the vast majority of Hispanic politicians" believe that "the American Southwest belongs to Mexico;" has referred to certain Californian politicians as "Latino supremacists;" and characterized recent immigration protests as "militant racism" marked by "virulent anti-American hatred." O'Reilly has also hosted Coulter -- whom O'Reilly himself recently described as the "best right-wing" example of "somebody who takes rhetoric to the extreme" -- at least 17 different times since April 1999.
Further, O'Reilly -- who has his own history of "popping off" at senators, including at Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), whom he called a "nut" based on misrepresentations; Kerry, whom he called a "sissy"; and Clinton, who, he suggested, would be welcomed as president by Osama bin Laden -- has appeared on NBC's Today show at least 8 times since November 2001.
Media Matters has compiled a full list of O'Reilly Factor guests since January here.
From the May 24 edition of Fox News'The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: Nancy Goodwin of Valrico, Florida: "Bill, if you're so fair, why don't you speak about the far-right kooks?"
Because they're not visible, Nancy. Are far-right people shouting down senators? Are they on the cover of Time magazine? Are they popping off on Larry King? Yes, they're out there, but the media ignores them, and so do I, unless they do something that affects you.
Perhaps the average FOX viewer truly cannot remember last week, yesterday, etc...
This is a little too late... the memos have been passed down... time to act like normal 'pundits', politicians, etc... until the midterms pass. BS. Liars. All of them. O'Reilly is a leader of the pack when it comes to delusional happy speak.
Bill is right. Far right wing kook groups aren't that "visible" these days.
Who's got the time to be on talk shows and the covers of magazines when you are too busy lobbying the President, the Vice President, and every Repub member of Congress to ban gay marriage, restrict gay rights, ban flag burning, make English the official US language, build a wall on the border, restrict access to birth control, destroy existing environmental laws, open up ANWR, destroy social programs, cut taxes for the uber-rich, and lobby for further military intervention around the world.
If I were that busy hobnobing with DC pols, I wouldn't have time to be "visible" either.
[/sarcasm]
- to ban gay marriage, ban flag burning, make English the official US language, build a wall on the border, restrict access to birth control, , open up ANWR, cut taxes - defkon
All worthwhile efforts.
you make me laugh.
Far right wet dreams. I wouldnt support a one of them.
half right
- to ban gay marriage, ban flag burning, make English the official US language, build a wall on the border, restrict access to birth control, , open up ANWR, cut taxes - defkon
Curtail the First Amendment, invade privacy, put a band-aid on the energy and immigration problems, and give more money to the rich. Election-losing proposals, all of 'em. Have at it!
Didn't mean to imply I was replying to you, defkon. I was quoting and responding to wesley. Sorry.
If we forget about a flag burning amendment. Why not forget any attempt at amending the constitution to deny rights to anyone.
It's time those on the right stopped getting all misty eyed over the flag and start being more concerned with violations of the constitution. One is just a symbol, the other set us free.
Boy, if that isn't the definition of Ann Coulter, then I don't know who O'Reilly is thinking about. Her rhetoric is about as "far right" and "kooky" as is gets. Man, the volume of misinformation coming from this "no spin zone" is truly breath-taking.
has a lot of BF's lately.
--"Because they're [the far right kooks] not visible"--
This complaint is coming from the guy who has been given a prime-time program slot (followed by Sean Hannity) on a major television network--the network that gives visibility to Sean Hannity, Oliver North, John Gibson, and Ann Coulter.
Putting O'Reilly at the center, far left kooks are roughly 60% of the population, and far right kooks are 0% of the population.
If O'Reilly really "ignored" right-wing media pundits his show would have to be renamed 'The Dead Air Zone'
"The Brain-Cell Killer Show"
Ann Coulter and James Dobson are not far right wing figures. They are just normal, everyday kind of middle of the road folks according to Bill.
I try to be aware, when I'm listening to someone I find myself agreeing with, of their bias. That's because I don't ever want to be a knee-jerk anything.I'm in disagreement with the Repugs on just about every issue, but not because I'm a Dem, it's (I hope) because I look over each issue, use my head, and make my mind up, and that puts me, almost always on the liberal side. I'll admit I've caught nyself ,in a lazy mood ,defending someone on the left who doesn't deserve defending.But I catch myself. O'Reilly likes to project the same thing about himself, that he's using logic to reach his conclusions, he's just able to ignore all the lying and spin he uses to get there. Like he says, he criticizes the GOP all the time(wait for it)," on immigration, for example" Unfortunately, the criticisms that he thinks prove his "fairness" are normally on the wrong side, that is, the Repugs aren't being shortsighted or idiotic ENOUGH. Heard an amazing one this week from Rush.Regarding our California Dem. senators call for W. Jefferson to step down re: the apparent bribe, Oxycontin poof explained to his listeners"The Dems are trying to get rid of him, so they can continue their "culture of corruption" mantra" Got that? somebody in your group screws up, you tell them to hit bricks,and that's not doing the right thing, that's a calculated political move to allow you to criticize your opponent for their screwing up. By that logic, I guess the GOP is more principled for tolerating and encouraging their criminals.Just like all you parents who try to discipline your children and make them do the right thing, we know you're not trying to make the world a better place by producing good citizens. You just want to bag on the neighbors kids with impunity. YEEEESH !!
If you don't like Bill O'Reilly, than why do y'all watch? Nobody's forcing you to watch Fox News. There's nothing "dangerous" about Fox News. What's dangerous is when the Media only covers one side of the story. If Fox News had a monopoly on news, there would be a problem. However, all they do is give the news with a Conservative slant.
I don't think too highly of Bill O'Reilly either. I think he's "looking out for" himself far too much too actually support conservative causes that aren't already popular. Rather, he caters to a Conservative audience and is talented at expressing their viewpoints in an entertaining way. I don't think he has any greater agenda than ratings, and his views reflect the belief of Fox Viewers.
and on O'Reilly's show, regularly.
So, I guess this kicks in the requirment that what she says "affects me". It would be interesting to have BillO explain how what she says has any effect on anything.