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It’s Fox News’ Screaming Bill O’Reilly Versus Democrat Barney Frank

Posted by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief in Arts & Entertainment, Media.
Oct 4th, 2008 | Comments

Once upon a time people could go on TV shows and, if a host didn’t like a politician’s answer, they would nail them with facts over and over, then move onto another question and nail them with more facts in their follow ups. NBC’s late, lamented Tim Russert did his homework, displayed it, and kept his interviews on a world-class political level.

The flip side is Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, a mega-ratings winner, and someone with a broadcast background. Just watch this clip. Partisan Republicans will love it. Partisan Democrats will hate it. But the larger issue is what it says about how far political discussion has fallen in America where name-calling and screaming and talking over someone is applauded by some and rewarded with massive viewership. And O’Reilly’s critics often ignore this: O’Reilly is a trained journalist and he can conduct excellent interviews. This is considered good TV due to the controversy and anger factor, but it shows how far we have fallen in our media culture:

P.S. Serious journalists don’t scream at, talk over and and name call their interview subjects.

D. E.Rodriguez

Fox...Fair and Balanced??????

JSpencer

O'Reilly looks like a grownup on the outside, but has preserved and nurtured his inner terrible two-year old. His controls are set for the heart of the dumbed down demographic.

jchem

Sadly, this is how he gets his ratings. I posted this video in a comment the other day. It actually made me feel pretty good knowing that someone was trying to hold Frank's feet to the fire. There certainly are better ways to do this, and I think Bill O pretty much destroyed any attempt at it. It's all about Bill O in the video, not about Frank. I just wish someone would sit down and rationally put some blame on Frank. He's no innocent in this whole financial mess.

StockBoySF

I thought they were both going to have a heart attack.

If you want to see some good partisan dialogue I'd encourage you to watch the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. She invites Republicans and will have decent discussions with them. None of this school yard bullying like Bill engages in. One if these days he WILL have a heart attack.

DLS

Maddow is one of the better people anyone can watch or listen to. (She's often illogical like so many other lefties, but she's smart at times and definitely worth the time. Another interesting one on the left to listen to is Thom Hartmann.)

Does O'Reilly still have a show??? I thought it was old and out of it (while Limbaugh is old but still one of if not the best righty talkers out there). If he's shouting he's no better than idiot Olbermann or true crackpot Randi Rhodes or silly Stephanie Miller [giggle, giggle]. Maddow, at least, is worth one's time.

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