In recent years, "The O'Reilly Factor" has adopted an old tradition from "60 Minutes"-era TV journalism: the ambush interview. In this piece we originally aired in June, we spoke with Gawker's investigations editor John Cook who says Bill O'Reilly uses the ambush to settle personal scores. Plus, OTM producer PJ Vogt describes shadowing Cook as he tried to ambush an ambusher.
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Comments [7]
As the proverb says that you are never too old to learn. Keeping reading all the way can enrich our leisure. Work more hard, your dream will come true more faster.
Why certainly, restrict your concern to the news technique above all else. This has the salutary effect of limiting knowledge of the news value associated with these Fox News ambushes. Come on, admit it--you enjoyed watching 60 Minutes do it. So why the tut tutting now? We're left to assume your sympathies lie with the pedophiles.
Wow, another attack on Bill O'Reilly and Fox News. You really take some risks there, OTM! Why, your neighbors and friends in Manhattan and Brooklyn are just going to be outraged! What bravery! Congratulate yourselves! As Tom Wolfe concluded in his fabled takedown (some years ahead of its time) of the equally smug New Yorker magazine - patpatpatpatpat . . .
I have to agree with the previous poster. I don't catch OTM that often because it's on on Sunday mornings, but I did catch yesterday's show. Ironically, the last show we caught was over the summer and there was a similar negative story about FOX then, too. Judging by this trend, there is no reason to continue listening to OTM or sending my dollars to the station that produces it. I don't take FOX half as seriously as the rest of the media does, yet the rest of the media also gives free passes to MSNBC's biases (care for another riveting assessment of K Street politics on Maddow or Olbermann's feud with O'Reilly, Beck, Hannity, or [insert any FOX news commentator or Republican here]?). I also watch all the networks because there's news on each of them that isn't covered by the other; or it's covered at a different angle. That by very definition is American; having the freedom to choose and make up your own mind. I thought the media's problem with FOX was that they were too soft on the previous administration. Shouldn't that, again by very definition, be the focus of hourly stories about the rest of the media and the CURRENT administration? I'd like to see one, just one, negative story about Obama on MSNBC, other than the progressive's agenda attack on health care reform. I won't hold my breath.
Yawn. Another cheap-shot attack on Fox News. I see that the report failed to mention that the "ambush" attacks were also on a judge in the Midwest who let a child rapist go. Or the ambush on a Florida judge who let a suspected terrorist go. Etc. I know, I know. "Edited by Brooke" couldn't be bothered to watch something "so boring." Honestly, I'd be more surprised by this report if it were something positive published about Fox, but I wouldn't ask you at On the Media to do something so...fair.
Do I agree with 100% of what Fox does? Of course not. But I at least watch them AND the other networks and make up my own mind instead of publishing shameless reports along the all-too-easy lines of "Fox is evil" mantra. On the Media, you're getting LAZY.
Your liberal bias is showing! You offered absolutely no the evidence that many of O'Reilly's so-called ambushes are personal vendettas! So you took the word of Amanda Terkel and Hendrik Hertzberg that O'Reilly never asked them to appear on his show? Did it occur to you idiots that they could be lying? Did you not see John Cook’s bias when he said Jesse Waters’ refusal to be interviewed was “typical” hypocrisy? Where was the opposing point of view? Afraid that would get in the way of your extreme left wing agenda?
I just had to turn my radio off, when I heard someone from Gawker Media explaining something about journalism.I'm surprised lighting didn't strike when he mentioned "60 minutes." Were you that desperate for a guest? It's bad enough that John Cook's job now involves posting things like "Soulful crooner David Geffen to be inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame," but having him talk about real news just adds to the tragedy. And yes, that was the entirety of his Geffen "story."
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