On the October 6 editions of his television and radio shows, Bill O'Reilly attacked Media Matters for America and The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, for the newspaper's publication of a review by Media Matters research fellow Elbert Ventura of O'Reilly's new book, The Culture Warrior (Random House, September 2006). O'Reilly asserted that it was “blatantly dishonest” for The Plain Dealer to publish Ventura's review without identifying Media Matters as a “far-left” organization, which “hates me.” O'Reilly concluded that “we expect the attacks” on him and his book “to uptick, and we'll confront them.” Yet, while apparently considering the review an “attack,” O'Reilly did not point to one assertion in Ventura's review that he said Ventura got wrong. As The Plain Dealer wrote in an editor's note the paper included the day after the review's publication, Media Matters "describes itself as a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media."

On Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly stated that it was “ridiculous” that the "Plain Dealer ran a review of my book ... written by a member of Media Matters, the far-left hate website, which hates me." O'Reilly complained to the paper, asking why "Media Matters wasn't identified in the paper as a far-left" organization. Similarly, on his radio show, Westwood One's The Radio Factor, O'Reilly declared that it was “blatantly dishonest” for The Plain Dealer to describe Media Matters as "[a] media watchdog nonprofit" and suggested that The Plain Dealer purposely had a Media Matters employee review his book because the paper doesn't “like the book.” O'Reilly asserted: "[T]his is so blatantly dishonest, what they did. You don't like the book? Give it to somebody who doesn't have a political agenda, OK. And don't try to hide the political agenda, Cleveland Plain Dealer." Later, O'Reilly declared that The Plain Dealer “took a shot at” his book “by hiring a guy from Media Matters, the far-left smear website, to review my book.”

The Plain Dealer originally described Ventura as “a research fellow at Media Matters for America, a media watchdog nonprofit in Washington, D.C.” but has since added an editor's note -- which O'Reilly said was the result of his complaint -- stating:

The review of Fox newsman Bill O'Reilly's book, Culture Warrior, in the Arts & Life section Friday failed to describe the political point of view of the group the reviewer is affiliated with. The reviewer, Elbert Ventura, is a research fellow at Media Matters for America. That group describes itself as a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. It is frequently critical of O'Reilly and his program.

Yet, in describing Ventura's review as an “attack” on his book, O'Reilly did not point to a single inaccuracy in the review. Ventura describes Culture Warrior as “a call to arms” rife with factual inaccuracies, noting:

Throughout the book, O'Reilly makes claims -- some risible, others inflammatory -- for which he offers no evidence. Take his assertions about the media. “I put their support of the S-P [secular-progressive] agenda at about 75 percent,” he writes, contending that liberal newspapers outnumber conservative ones 10-to-1.

How did he arrive at those figures? Nobody knows -- O'Reilly fails to cite any sources or supply a single footnote. Some of the newspapers he singles out as having a leftist editorial slant -- the Denver Post, the Houston Chronicle, the New Orleans Times-Picayune -- have endorsed George W. Bush in past elections.

From the October 6 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: And on another ridiculous note, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a review of my book, Culture Warrior, today. One problem: The review was written by a member of Media Matters, the far-left hate website, which hates me. Guess what? The guy didn't like the book.

Now, we brought this to the attention of the Plain Dealer leadership and they -- we asked them, “Why did you do that? And why Media Matters wasn't identified in the paper as a far-left concern.”

We received this note back this afternoon. Quote, “We messed up. Very clearly, the political point of view of the reviewer's organization should have been spelled out. We did our readers a true disservice.”

Well, we appreciate the Cleveland Plain Dealer saying that. Apparently, there's going to be an editor's note published in the paper tomorrow. We appreciate that, as well.

But, you should know that because Culture Warrior is now the number one non-fiction book in the country, far left is going nuts, and they are on the attack. We, of course, are more than ready for these scoundrels.

Ridiculous? Off the chart.

From the October 6 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor:

O'REILLY: The Wall Street Journal list has Culture Warrior at the top. Cleveland Plain Dealer has a review of Culture Warrior by a man named Elbert Ventura. Who is Elbert Ventura? Research fellow at the far-left Media Matters for America. How is he described by the Cleveland Plain Dealer? “A media watchdog nonprofit.” OK, blatantly dishonest. Cleveland Plain Dealer -- blatantly dishonest. OK? Can't get more dishonest than this. We're gonna call the editor of that newspaper -- please do that, guys -- as for a comment on why he would have somebody from the far-left Media Matters, who hates, you know, hates me, and then not identify who Media Matters is in the paper. This is what I'm talking about here in the culture war. This is exactly what I'm talking about. So dishonest. So -- I mean, it doesn't get worse. It doesn't get worse. The Cleveland Plain Dealer -- off the chart. Calling 'em out.

[...]

O'REILLY: Also, signed copies of Culture Warrior are available on billoreilly.com, and that is the only place they are available. And we really appreciate you guys supporting the book. It's very -- very nice of you guys to do it. It sends a real flaming arrow into the -- you know, I'm so mad about the Cleveland Plain Dealer, I mean, but, you know, the fact the book's number one and all that -- people say, “Oh, why don't you overlook that stuff?” You know, I don't overlook it because the Cleveland Plain Dealer is a major newspaper in a major American city. And this is so blatantly dishonest, what they did. You don't like the book? Give it to somebody who doesn't have a political agenda, OK. And don't try to hide the political agenda, Cleveland Plain Dealer. So, I'm gonna -- I'm gonna -- we're calling the editor and see what he says, and we'll have a little bit of it on TV tonight.

[...]

O'REILLY: But now that it's becoming -- it is number one, and everybody's talking about it, Cleveland Plain Dealer, as I mentioned, took a shot at it by hiring a guy from Media Matters, the far-left smear website, to review my book, and they didn't even tell -- didn't even tell their readers what Media Matters is. Blatantly dishonest. So, we expect the attacks to uptick, and we'll confront them.