UPDATED: Newsday referred to O'Reilly's "misquoted report," but provided no examples
SUMMARY: The headline of a Newsday article on Bill O'Reilly's controversial remarks about a Harlem restaurant run by African-Americans asserted, "O'Reilly lashes out at CNN over misquoted report," but the article provided no examples of a "misquot[ation]," nor did it quote O'Reilly claiming to have been "misquoted." The article also stated that "Mediamatters.org released a partial transcript" of O'Reilly's comments. In fact, Media Matters provided the relevant transcript and audio clip of O'Reilly's remarks, which included the full context of his statements.
The headline of a September 26 Newsday article on Fox News host Bill O'Reilly's controversial remarks about a Harlem restaurant run by African-Americans asserted: "O'Reilly lashes out at CNN over misquoted report." Yet the article itself provided no examples in which O'Reilly was purportedly "misquoted," nor did it quote O'Reilly claiming to have been "misquoted." Rather, the article reported that O'Reilly claimed his words were taken "out of context."
Additionally, the article claimed that O'Reilly's "commentary was reported on by several media organizations yesterday, including The Associated Press, after Mediamatters.org released a partial transcript." In fact, Media Matters for America provided the relevant transcript and audio clip of O'Reilly's remarks, which included the full context of his statements.
Contrary to the article's headline, O'Reilly did not claim to have been "misquoted" by Media Matters or CNN while discussing the controversy over his remarks on the September 25 broadcast of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. Instead, O'Reilly claimed that his comments were taken "out of context." O'Reilly asserted that "Media Matters distorted the entire conversation and implied I was racist for condemning racism. Stunningly, CNN echoed the defamation on at least three of its programs." He continued:
O'REILLY: Unfortunately, many in CNN's audience have no idea what I said, and some believe the garbage they are hearing.
Now, I talked to CNN last night before that program. It was obvious they didn't listen to The Radio Factor, so I explained the deal. They went ahead with the racist angle anyway. This is dishonest and dangerous. If a slime machine like Media Matters can get its far-left propaganda on CNN and NBC News, the nation is in trouble.
Later, while discussing the issue with Fox News contributor Juan Williams, O'Reilly added: "CNN knew this was distorted, knew what they were doing was wrong, because we told them -- and put it on anyway. So, now what you have is CNN has joined NBC News in parroting far-left propaganda in an attempt to destroy me and the Fox News Channel and to deceive their viewers."
From the Newsday article, headlined "O'Reilly lashes out at CNN over misquoted report":
Bill O'Reilly blasted CNN last night for taking out of context -- his words -- a radio commentary from his Sept. 19 radio show that was cited by a media monitoring Web site as an example of his racial insensitivity.
The commentary was reported on by several media organizations yesterday, including The Associated Press, after Mediamatters.org released a partial transcript, though O'Reilly reserved his ire for CNN on last night's "Factor," calling his competitor "dishonest and dangerous." CNN anchor Rick Sanchez had discussed the report yesterday on the program, "Out in the Open." A CNN spokesman couldn't be reached for comment last night.
[...]
But O'Reilly said the context of the discussion had been about his grandmother, who didn't know any African-Americans but had based her assumptions about them on portrayals by the entertainment industry, and the comment about Sylvia's was meant to illustrate how distorted her perspective was.
As part of common refrain by O'Reilly going back years, he's often blamed the rap industry -- and Ludacris, in particular -- for creating negative stereotypes that both white and black kids embrace.
His radio commentary, he said, "was an attempt to tell the radio audience, black or white, that we're all Americans [and] the stereotypes you see on TV are not true."
UPDATE: After Media Matters for America noted Newsday's erroneous headline, the online version was changed to assert "O'Reilly fires back at CNN report," although Newsday did not note the change. The original headline still appears on the Newsday mobile version of the article.
I wonder how much Newsday stock Rupert Murdoch owns......
Murdoch owns and is FUXnews. From there, Newstray takes it.
There was nothing taken out of context, and O'Reilly knows that. Or he doesn't know what the phrase: 'Taken out of context' actually means. He needs to take a vacation and spend more time polishing his Peabody.
Come on Rick,
Unless you have all three hours of the radio factor quoted it is out of context. I mean just because MMFA had the entire conversation does not mean it was the "entire conversation". We all know Bill O wouldn't lie to people. Those of us on the left are just out to get him so we hear what we want to. That's all. He doesn't need to show where he was taken out of context he just was and we should all leave it alone... or not.
Yeah, I agree, let's take the liar at his word. :-)
H-man, do you think that BilldO doesn't speak before and after his radio show? He may even talk in his sleep, in which case, even a recording of his every waking moment is out of context.It's so unfair!
This is similar to Matt Lauer this morning. They are half reporting so BO'R doesn't seem to be wrong. Are the con jobbers in the MSM smelling fear?
They're memory of how quickly Imus went down is still wet in their little pinheads.
I don't get it. I heard the comments on CNN and the first thing that popped into my mind was: "He is talking about a stereotype and how it is clearly false." I would like to know how other people got a different "spin" from this.
I'm soooo confused. Does Bill love me? Does Bill like me? I can't tell by what he's saying Is Bill proud that I know how to use a knife and a fork? It's soooo confusing. Does Bill like me no to use curse words? Does Bill only want me to use dirty words when I'm with him? I'm sooo confused but Bill told me that I'm thinking all on my own soooo I guess I'm SOL
That was my bit for comic relief cause after a while you just gotta laugh at how dumb some people think we really are.
Laughter's good therapy, Pearlene. Probably stops you from putting your 73 year old mitts around yer Glock and shooting up The Strip, too. ;0)
"But O'Reilly said the context of the discussion had been about his grandmother, who didn't know any African-Americans but had based her assumptions about them on portrayals by the entertainment industry, and the comment about Sylvia's was meant to illustrate how distorted her perspective was."
Oh, so, what Bill MEANT to say was MY GRANDMOTHER said that blacks scream out for m***f*** ice tea! It would never have crossed Billo's mind, and he's surprised anyone would think that it was HIM, not his grandmother, that was responsible for that kind of language! We all know Billo's grandmother is a foul-mouthed piece of filth!
Pretty pathetic and cowardly, even for a rightwinger!
I saw a CNN White House correspondent over the weekend explain what Pres. Bush MEANT when he said last week that Nelson Mandella was dead. Surprisingly, it had nothing whatsoever to do with Bush being a fatheaded, imbecile!
Have you ever noticed that when the rightwing recklessly backtracks over its monumentally stupid comments, never ONCE is it any way their fault or something worth apologizing for? It's ALWAYS a misunderstanding on the part of the "stupid" public!
I notice that Newsday has changed the headline of the article to "O'Reilly Fires Back at CNN Report. " Once again, history scrubbed clean for your reading pleasure...
I'm glad no one could respond to my post....
You should be glad, Dan. The first 20 pinheads who posted the same BS before you had their stoopidity pointed out to them.They probably wish they'd been ignored, as you were.