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Bill O’Reilly’s Producer Tries To Ambush PBS’s Bill Moyers
…and he gets ambushed.
Some notes:
1. Moyers correctly notes that “Bill is not a journalist, he’s a pugilist…”
2. O’Reilly’s producer starts playing the victim card when he is put on the defensive.
3. In the 70s and 80s there was a controversy over “ambush journalism.” Now there is the “ambush talk show segment.” Same idea (the glare of the camera will make someone agree to talk or else they’ll look bad and guilty) but the goal is to score a pre-arranged ideological point.
4. Note that the O’Reilly producer won’t engage extensively on the question of the kind of show O’Reilly’s show is and what O’Reilly is (he is an ideological entertainer-broadcaster in his present incarnation). It becomes a choice of if you don’t go on Bill’s show you have something to hide or must be afraid — rather than the possibility that some people don’t want to appear on his show due to what the show actually is (and it IS highly entertaining).
It boils down to the fact that controversy, rage and whipping up resentments build audiences. What better way to do that than to send someone over to someone, shove a camera in their face and try to force them to give the answer you want answered (or else)?
O’Reilly once was a journalist. A good network journalist.
But today Bill O’Reilly is to real journalism what cardboard is to board (which probably means I am now a “bad American”…).
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18 Responses to “Bill O’Reilly’s Producer Tries To Ambush PBS’s Bill Moyers”
'Twas a thing of beauty..tables turned, and a deer stands in the headlights, blinking.
What a turd.
Of course, nobody can describe obnoxious moronic imbecile Keith-O, who isn't even entertaining in his totally ideological unwatched toxic waste dump of a show. Ever notice Odorboy bringing on conflicting points of view?
Didn't think so.
Moyers was great, the producer was a Bill Jr.
Actually Dave, the subject of this post was a)O'Reilly's producer going up to Moyers, b)Moyers' response ot it, c)ambush journalism and talk show segments. Keith, Dan, Sean etc. al aren't in this post because this isn't an incident that involves them. And if you watch the link, O'Reilly's producer is talking with Moyers about whether O'Reilly is a journalist or not. Keith O's outraged act is indeed getting quite old with the “Special Comments” not special any more. But unless I'm mistaken, he has no history yet of sending out people to do ambush talk show segments or bully them into appearing on his show. So this is apples and oranges and by running this we are not endorsing K.O.'s show which — like O'Reilly's — is highly entertaining but can't be mistaken for a regular news report.
Joe, I don't like O'Reilly myself, but watch for Laura Ingraham & some other interesting commentary. I don't like Moyers and his unwatched whine-fests on PBS, which has no real countervailing moderate show [unless you count Lehrer, who nowadays is better than MacNeil/Lehrer was when I made my one-time appearance in an interview with Judy Woodruff---who is an actual journalist.].
Moyers is about as one-sided and immoderate as anyone on TV, so I just didn't like his confronting an obnoxious ambusher to be some sort of heroic act. I con't like the ambushers myself. But as entertainment, O'Reilly has occasional high points—-like Dennis Miller.
Either you aren't very familiar with Bill Moyer's career, or you're the first person I've encountered who suffers from MDS.
Getting back to O'Riley and ambush journlism, the bottom line is really the cannibalization of true journalism by entertainers and shock jocks posing as journalists.
When Moyers makes a statement, at the end of a show, it is clearly an op-ed statement based on actual research of a subject. He presents the 'evidence' first, and then he voices an opinion.
Others may refer to different 'facts' or arrrive at different conclusions, but you know, what he is talking about, and you know when he is expressing his opinion.
That O'Riley doesn't do that is what puts him in another category altogether, although it's hard to think of a polite name for it.
“O’Reilly once was a journalist. A good network journalist.'
Well, I suppose ratings and money are O'Reilly's primary consideration now, rather than the pursuit of truth.
“It boils down to the fact that controversy, rage and whipping up resentments build audiences.”
Exactly, and in that unconscionable pursuit of sensation, pursuit of the cheap shot, honesty is relegated to the backburner. I must say, I enjoyed the video; Porter was well out of his depth in trying to ambush Moyers – which of course he discovered too late. It's always good to see truth and fairness trump BS and deception.
Daveinboca,
Name-calling is the last refuge of the weak intellect. If you can't make your argument without having to resort to cutesy nicknames and smirk-inducing putdowns, then perhaps your line of attack could use a little…refinement.
(PS The irony is not lost on me that news-entertainer Keith Olbermann engages in such behavior himself. I wish he wouldn't; it weakens his credibility)
His credibility is almost zero anyway, and he NEVER has an interview with someone who isn't a pliant lib or a raving co-conspirator of the ultra-left loon variety [oops, there I go again].
daveinboca,
has ko ever sent any of his producers to and ambush interview so that he can cut it up and make the interviewee look like a raving maniac?
ko has his point of view, he makes no bones about it
lufa boy lies daily about his being a moderate
has he ever sent out his producers to ambush a conservative?
i rest my case
Dave,
Keith is a liberal and has never tried to hide it. As Joe said, Keith is also an entertainer not a unbiased journalist.
Bill continually uses the ambush interview as a tactic as nothing more than an entertainment gimmick.
By attacking the one and denying the other I think you're showing your bias too.
Actuallly, in an interview Oberman said he has qualms about his blowhard segment. He does it to balance out Limbaugh and O'Riley.
The difference is that people who watch Oberman, laugh with him.
O'Riley and Limbaugh have no sense of irony or humor . It's all deadly earnest hate.
A) Keith didn't engage in the shameless ambush
B) Keith hasn't called people “Bad Americans” for being against the war and
C) Keith has been right about the war from day 1
and you know it.
BOR is occasionally high? That explains his show.
Don't forget, Bill says he isn't right or left. Just fair and balanced.