Nothing Is `Free' About Bill O'Reilly's Froth Factor

The Tampa Tribune ^ | 2/26/03 | Daniel Ruth

[ifhult45]

This made me so furious, I decided to e-mail this guy and I encourage you all to do the same. This is the type of thing that makes me so glad to have found balance Fox News. These O'Reilly haters are just so bitter--I almost feel bad for the hack.

"Sir, Your garbled, pinko editorial about Bill O'Reilly (2/26: Nothing Is `Free' About Bill O'Reilly's Froth Factor) was really off-base. Its that type of biased, journalistic diarrhea that makes free-thinking patriotic humans crave balanced journalism. O'Reilly was the only one who made any waves with the issue and was clear in his intentions to pursue this guy. He was right!! Learn to accept Fox News as the mainstream, because as it proved with this story--it was the only media outlet with the guts to go after this guy and draw some attention to him."

[ifhult45]

If you all are interested in supporting O'Reilly here's the e-mail provided: druth@tampatrib.com

[stands2reason]

Funny how this guy goes off on a "blowhard"---he must have spent many hours thinking of the insults in this piece. One complaint, (plagiarism) and dozens and dozens of ad hominem attacks to pad it out. This was printed in a mainstream newspaper? I remeber I used to only read crap like this in the subversive free weeklies. I am in shock at how anyone paid money for this article.

[stands2reason]

Funny how this guy goes off on a "blowhard"---he must have spent many hours thinking up the insults in this piece. One complaint, (plagiarism) and dozens and dozens of ad hominem attacks to pad it out. This was printed in a mainstream newspaper? I remember I used to only read crap like this in the subversive free weeklies. I am in shock at how anyone paid money for this article.

[an amused spectator]

Is Bill O'Reilly, the Father Coughlin of cable TV, going to take credit for breaking the story of Watergate, exposing the Pentagon Papers and getting the scoop on the Iran/Contra scandal?

This guy acts like Watergate, the Pentagon Papers and Iran/Contra were actual important news stories, instead of being free advertising for America's Left Wing, on the order of wall-to-wall coverage for Britney's newest Pepsi commercial. ;-)

[capitan_refugio]

Shrill, leftist drivel. This article just shows how far out of touch the liberals really are.

[FreeTally]

I do not know anything about the situation and I would suppose O'Reilly wasn't first to break the story, but this author must have spent hours comming up with these "attack names". The fact that he starts every other sentence personally attacking Bill destroys any credibility the author had. If he thinks Bill used info gathered by someone else, then say it and prove it.

[SunStar]

Did anyone count the number of ad-hominem attacks in this hit-piece??? Is this all the Left can offer, while still claiming to be "mainstream"? Whatever, dude!

[Dont Mention the War]

This screed appears to be more about the author trying to prove he's hip to pop culture than anything else.

[an amused spectator]

I re-wrote this from the movie It's A Wonderful Life:

[sounds of FOXNews playing in the background]
Donna Reed holds her daughter. The little girl points at Brit Hume speaking from the TV screen. "Look, Mommy! Daddy says that for every minute that you watch FOXNews, another liberal's head explodes!"

[cody32127]

MY EMAIL....

I really cannot believe that silly little paper let you spew like that.

Its funny when you guys get shown for being the little liberal politically correct sissies that you are, you finally get a "backbone" and attack the MESSENGER.

You sir are in the very town where this terrorist operated in and what did you do?? hmmm?

Fox news are the only real journalist in this country at this time and they constantly show just how inept you are.

Until you little liberals stop trying to cast the news in a liberal light you are going to be shown to be more and more irrelevant.

[stands2reason]

Dear Mr Ruth:

I caught your article "Nothing Free About it...O'Reilly's Froth Factor" and just had to respond. I can't figure out if your article is satire or humor or serious. You make an accusation of Bill O'Reilly of plagiarism, and then fill in the rest of the article with insults. It comes off as satiric as your insults include "spittle", "ranting and raving" and such which, yes, may describe Mr. O' Reilly, but even moreso describe your own "spittle"-flecked diatribe. I mean, a well-turned "jab" can be quite effective, but your screed goes lightyears beyond that. Stringing together ad hominems does not a good argument or a pleasant read make.

Best Regards,

[dep]

wow. the only people i knew of until now who have such a low opinion of o'reilly are those who work with him, who universally hold him in contempt.

i know many who work with him, and they all say that the nicest thing they can think of to call him is "jerk."

dep

[farmfriend]

I like O'Reilly and think he did break this story nationally; however, if he used someone elses research to do it, he should have given credit where credit was due.

[tiki]

Even if O'Reilly found out about Arian from something he read. He exposed him. Bill got the guy to practically brag that he was guilty. It was obvious watching the interview that Arian looked like the cat that ate the canary after 9/11 while coyly pretending to be sad about it.

[amused]

While I think The Factor gave national prominence to this story, Bill is using a bit of hyperbole dealing with "we alone broke the story".

Nothing new...the man is a shameless self-promoter.

Not that such overzealous self promotion should bring about such a vicious hit piece repletye with namecalling.

[davetex]

I seem to remember that O'Reily said he broke the story on
a national level. I do not think he said he broke the story
period. He clearly qualified his statement by using the word
nationally. Since the Tampa? paper is local he is correct.

[LibertarianInExile]

Which story did O'Reilly break, exactly?

November 1994 - A PBS documentary, "Jihad in America" alleges Al-Arian is the head of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group's domestic support network. The documentary was created by Steve Emerson.

BTW, this is directly from http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/87. Campus Watch is certainly no leftist organization. And Steve Emerson IS a reporter for The Tampa Tribune.

Say what you want about O'Reilly, and his ratings, unless they've finally shut down PBS, it's a national network of stations. Jihad in America was pretty widely carried.

Further evidence of self-promotional hyperbole by America's proudest populist, Mr. O'Reilly. Perhaps the columnist here went too far, but at least he was writing a column. Columnists are supposed to state opinions in those. I'll grant you, it's a liberal screed, but at least it's where it's supposed to be instead of in the news.

On the other hand, O'Reilly purports to have a no-spin zone, i.e., no-bias, just the facts, ma'am. I won't call him a conservative, but it sure seems like there is spin, and it is pretty O'Reilly-centric.

[sport]

When I saw that the article was by daniel ruth [lower case on purpose] I scrolled down to your post, wrote the above and will forget that I saw the article.