What serious news channel reports and quotes random internet diary postings? That quote was from a February diary posting by "dhonig" on the Dailykos.com where the dhonig was actually calling out bad comments on the website, not making them.
Dhonig responds to Bill's newscast.
Now it is important to note that I post under my own name, not a pseudonym. I think it is probably also worth noting that I am a litigator, and licensed to practice law in three states and many federal jurisdictions, including Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Not only is the O'Reilly broadcast defamatory, but I actually have the skills and wherewithal to do something about it.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. Ironic that O'Reilly's next piece was about the lack of truth in the media. Guess you can't get them ALL wrong, Bill.
Eric Barlow at 10:16AM on Aug 17th 2007
2. Just maybe this guy can shut down the propaganda from Fox News.
Dancerpl2 at 11:28AM on Aug 17th 2007
3. I think Dhonig should do something about it. O'Reilly started this BS trying to cost Daily Kos money by going after sponsors at the site. He deserves whatever he gets. When you set out to destroy people and get caught lying to do so you should pay the price. There is too much slander and defamation going on in the media and people who can do something to stop it should. So go Dhonig. Don't get mad. Sue him until he bleeds. The Dhonigs are the great equalizers.
Joe at 11:05AM on Aug 17th 2007
4. Does anyone have an idea why "Papa Bear" does these things? Is it intentional or just plain stupid?
Steve Seivers at 11:43AM on Aug 17th 2007
5. I hope he files a law suit and takes the other half of Bill O's paycheck. Bill O gives the first half of his check to the phone sex chick.
Larry at 12:14PM on Aug 17th 2007
6. More people watched Bill O'Reilly reruns over the 4th of July than all the cable news shows combined!
I heard where The "Average Joe" show on MSNBC claims Fox News is conducting a Jihad against NBC. That's silly. MSNBC and NBC are declining because no one watches them. The NY Times is declining because no one cares to buy their paper. And forget CBS.
You far left people have to ask yourselves why people would rather watch O'Reilly re-runs than listen to you.
willet at 1:25PM on Aug 17th 2007
7. To answer Willet - the reason "more" people would rather watch reruns of Bill O rather than NBC or MSNBC is indicative of our national malaise NOT whether these viewers are right. After all, "more" people voted for Bush and we are all witness to the tragedy that has been for America and the World.
Just chalk it up to the "dumbing down of America" that started under Reagan when the government, media, and churches encouraged us to stop thinking for ourselves.
Mimi at 1:36PM on Aug 17th 2007
8. FOX news tells lies and half truths and billo is the best because he's rarely if ever challenged thank god 4 keith O.
zyglow2 at 1:37PM on Aug 17th 2007
9. >>
You far left people have to ask yourselves why people would rather watch O'Reilly re-runs than listen to you.
Randy at 1:40PM on Aug 17th 2007
10. >> You far left people have to ask yourselves why people would rather watch O'Reilly re-runs than listen to you.
That, or someone's moral and ethical GPS has an Earth-sized margin of error, to think that Bill O'Reilly's a good guy to support. So tell me, if lots of people bought Mein Kampf in Turkey to the point that it's a bestseller, does that mean it's right and OK?
Fox News has degraded the national discourse since its inception in Orwellian 1984 fashion, and we should be *extremely* worried about media consolidation instead of flinging mud like children. Media consolidation destroys the educated populace as envisioned by our forefathers. If defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is not your thing, then keep on supporting monstrosities like Fox News and disastrous foreign and domestic policies. There will at least be one more American who will defend all that America has stood for.
Rick at 2:15PM on Aug 17th 2007
11. The reason media often pay no price for their defamatory statements is that in order to win a suit you normally have to be able to show "actual malice," which is a high standard which makes defamation difficult to prove.
But in the case of O'Reilly, how hard could it really be to demonstrate "malice"? The malice is quite apparent; it's there in every O'Reilly show. This isn't one mistatement, it's part of a broader pattern which would make a very convincing case.
acerimusdux at 2:27PM on Aug 17th 2007
12. Bill O'Reilly is no more a newsperson then you are. I think the average person is smart enough to discern the difference between news and commentary. I don't understand the vituperation against Fox. If you don't like their coverage and don't think it's credible go somewhere else. The idea that they should be knocked off the air is stupid and goes against American ideas of free exchange of ideas. i would no more want Fox off the air then CNN or MSNBC. It's good that we have a choice of who to listen to and read. I consider myself an issues person and am willing to listen to many different points of view before I form an opinion. I certainly would never advocate silencing some source simply because I have some doctrinaire difference with some basic philosophical or political thread that runs through news sources. If you think Bill O'Reilly is an asshole say so but let him be an asshole as he has a righ to be.
eric at 3:04PM on Aug 17th 2007
13. "To answer Willet - the reason "more" people would rather watch reruns of Bill O rather than NBC or MSNBC is indicative of our national malaise NOT whether these viewers are right. After all, "more" people voted for Bush and we are all witness to the tragedy that has been for America and the World."
No, the word is actually more, no quotation marks necessary. You may not like GWB, but you become as intellectually dishonest as you claim Bill O'Reilly is when you use words like "more" in quotation marks, to imply that it's not true.
Though Gore (here we go again) got more in the popular vote in 2000, the popular vote has NEVER decided the Presidency. Sorry. And in 2004, it was an uncontested victory for Bush.
As far as "tragedy"...you have an ODD definition for that word to apply it to Bush. Incompetent? Yes. Unqualified? Yes. Poorly run? Yes.
But "tragedy"? Yeah, HITLER was a tragedy for Germany and the world. I think we'll "recover" from Bush a lot faster.
"Just chalk it up to the "dumbing down of America" that started under Reagan when the government, media, and churches encouraged us to stop thinking for ourselves."
Um. You're not a fan of history, are you? The "dumbing down of America" started with FDR, and his massive Welfare programs and the END of a "non-intrusive, limited" Federal government....and cemented by LBJ. Let's not forget that it was FDR...as noble as he was, as much a great leader as he was....was the first US President to truly sieze the reigns of power, and shape the Federal Government (which heretofore did mostly what the Constitution said it could do) into the bureaucratic monolith that it is today.
And it's hilarious to talk about "the dumbing down of America" starting with REAGAN when Jimmy Carter was the President right before him.
Let's not lie about history, shall we?
timber at 3:55PM on Aug 17th 2007
14. Fox news is #1. Sorry if they don't like sticking their news weiner in America's big brown news butthole like all the other Brokeback cowboy love news networks. God forbid someone stand up for the morals that this country was founded with. Finally a news channel that reports the things that are contributing to the decline of this country's moral fabric. No longer are people concerned with what is right or wrong, rather who gets the credit for reporting it. Right or wrong Mr. O'Reilly stands up for what he believes is just and proper, and he reports items that infringe on his beliefs. Believe it or not, there are a great many people who think Bill has a pretty good take on what is going on.
Jim at 4:06PM on Aug 17th 2007
15. O'Reilly probably missed the quotes part, or scimmed the article, if he read it at all. People like him often have numerous people working as production assistants and editors. I know. I'm in the industry. As the captain of the ship though, it is his resposability to make sure the facts have been checked out.
O'Reilly is right about the media.
He is guilty too of being a commentator.
We went down hill in the 80's when journalism was replaced with commentation.
A true journalist reports all the facts, not just what they want you to hear to further their careers.
Sensationalism often gets hampered with facts.
O'Reilly should apologize if it was a mistake or malicious. Was it an honest mistake? Probably, but possibly not as well.
The far left hates Fox because it is the one network out there that isn't biased in favor of liberalism.
All the networks are biased.
The good news...
I have actually seen some recent attempts to correct the situation lately.
I applaud those news organizations that have been working toward that cause.
I want to know what is really going on in the world. Good and bad.
Scott at 4:25PM on Aug 17th 2007