Michael Copps
Fox host Bill O’Reilly warned viewers on December 3 about “a disturbing development at the FCC”: Commissioner Michael Copps has been criticizing the failure of the media to provide citizens with substantive political information and discussion.
O’Reilly zeroed in on these comments Copps made in a BBC interview (12/1/10):
I think American media has a bad case of substance abuse right now. We are not producing the body of news and information that democracy needs to conduct a civic dialogue. We are not producing as much news as we did five years, 10 years, 15 years ago. We have to reverse that trend, or I think we are going to be pretty close to denying our citizens the essential news and information that they need to have in order to make intelligent decisions.
Bill Moyers
As O’Reilly put it, “The key words from Copps are: ‘We have to reverse that trend.'” O’Reilly wondered if this was a government takeover plot: “Are you going to begin calling shots here on the Factor?” Of course, FCC rules govern broadcasting, not cable news—so O’Reilly will remain free to mislead his audience for as long as Rupert Murdoch allows.
But O’Reilly allowed for one exception:
Finally, this broadcast will fight any intrusion on the media by the federal government, unless, of course, they want to put Bill Moyers in jail.
I know, I know—he’s joking. But it says something about how O’Reilly’s brain works that he’d invent a government intrusion on freedom of the press, and then find it amusing to crack about jailing a television journalist who isn’t even on TV anymore.
billo meant to say “finally, this broadcast will fight any intrusion on the media by the federal government to begin calling shots here on the factor. We are not about to begin producing the body of news and information that democracy needs to conduct a civic dialogue. “
If Bill Moyers ever goes to jail, it’ll be for a prison interview of Bill O’Reilly.
Yay John. I so miss Bill Moyers who showed me so many exceptional people in his interviews. He’s one of my hero’s and one of my teachers. I understand so much more because of him and I fell in love with so many. Love him.
Who’s Bill O’Reilly?
What a maroon! Hard to believe O’Reilly has a book out and even harder to believe people actually buy it.
come on Curt he is a pretty astute guy.He is just not singing your song
O’Reilly is a megalomaniac. His song is one of hysteria, we have all seen him meltdown. Bill Moyers is a gentle, thought-provoking humanitarian. I agree he would indeed visit that loose cannon O’Reilly in jail.
To Whom it May Concern,
Bill Moyers holds more respect and gravitas from thoughtful people than Bill O’Reilly would ever hope to have. History will show that Moyers presentations and thoughtful analysis of critical social and literary topics will last for many, many generations. In my mind Moyers is a living national treasure. Thank You
O’Reilly’s brand of “journalism” is to Bill Moyer’s body of work what the WWE is to the olympics.
Curt S., you needn’t worry about people reading O’Reilly’s books. O’Reilly “writes” “books” for people who don’t read. It’s just something you do when you have to affect even the slightest pretense of being intellectual. It’s effect is often comical–try perusing one of that jackass’s “books.” That schmuck even pretended to write a book aimed at children.(!) (He calls ’em “kids,” don’t you know.) The people who buy these things get through a chapter or two, and that’s it–it then winds up propping up an old couch, or goes up on top of the fridge, next to the Bible.
The fact is, because so few people bother to spend so much as one nickel on “books” by Palin, Beck, O’Reilly, et. al., these things are sold in huge lots and bought up by right-wing organizations that give them away, or sell them at discount. This jacks up the number of copies that are sold, which puts these shitty works at or near the top of the best-seller lists. So, Curt, remember: Although O’Reilly isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and though he does take himself (and, no doubt, his “books”) seriously (very seriously), ultimately it’s just an extraordinarily vain, stupid, money-making enterprise. Don’t think so? Go into a Borders or another chain store that sells books, and pick up one of O’Reilly’s “book”-products, and open it up to any page, and I guarantee you badness of prose and thinking on any and every page.
Tim I cant tell you if the books are good or bad(have not read any of them).But your charge that the huge sales enjoyed by the authors mentioned are phony inflated sales figures is simply not true.The sales are monstrous and have generated fortunes to these people(though huge amounts of the proceeds go to charity). Especially Beck.It is true that this style of book is simply preaching to the choir.Few Conservatives have read Obamas books(I have)And few Dems have read Rush Limbaugh.IT is easier to just say Orielly and Obama…Palin and Bill from Mars…..Beck and Al Gore,Rush and Stewart ,Al Frankin ,Michael Moore and Hannity are all just uneducated stupid people beneath our attention.Or some such elitist talk.
It IS easier to just say O’Rielly, Palin, Beck, Rush, Hannity, Savage, Geller are all just uneducated stupid people beneath our attention. The truth MAKES it easy.
TimN is right, all the wingnut books are bought in bulk by magazines like The American Spectator, websites like Newsmax, and, of course, the Conservative Book Club. They get given away as subscrition “gifts” and/or sold at steep discounts.
By the way, SarahPac spent big bucks on her books to give out during fundraising drives.
Helen working my way through school I was the head book buyer for a major company.I know the ins and outs and you are wrong to think they are handing out books to show good sales.Yeah and Paul McCartney is handing out half the tickets to show he still has a following.
I have not read books by those you listed but I have read Obamas.So if you want to read a book by a uneducated(educated)stupid man beneath our attention I can vouch for them.
Both Bill O’Reilly and Bill Moyers will be subjects of study for future generations of journalism students. One will represent the best of what journalism can offer and one will represent the beginning of the downfall of true journalism in America. Guess which is which.
IS Bill O’reilly a journalist?Does he even consider himself one?HE has an opinion, valued by some.BIll Clinton does as well.Rush Limbaugh.Bill from mars.Hannity,Beck,Kieth Olbermann.Sometimes it is true thatthey cross the line and do some investigative reporting(Beck) but for the most part no.
Journalist are news hounds.Opinion makers comment on the news.Symbiotic relationship but removed from each other not to be confused or studied in the same breath.
Bill Moyers is a great journalist, and a caring and compassionate soul. O’Reilly is a bully. Can you imagine Bill Moyers telling his guests to shut up…a tactic used often by O’Reilly?
As far as O’Reilly’s books, he believes that (just like his TV ratings) just because he sells more books or has better ratings than someone who disagrees with him, this indicates that he is right, and the other person is wrong. He has done this little bit of gymnastics quite a few times. When someone from MSNBC shows what an idiot he is, or points to his facts being wrong, he comes back and says, “but who gets more ratings? Who sells more books?” He’s an egomaniac and a bully, so I’m not surprised that he thinks a guy like Moyers needs to be “jailed”. What he was actually thinking when he said that was probably something much more violent.
“and you are wrong to think they are handing out books to show good sales.”
Not what I’m saying….but their bulk purchases, made to buy books to then give away, DO add to the sales figures.
Yes of course.”We” used to bulk purchase books….hold a dinner at$ 150.00 a head for charity ,and hand out a $20.00 book as you enter written by the author who would speak.The night cost $50.00 a head.Everybody made money.Everybody got paid.Charity was helped.Those situations are common.And many other reasons for handing out books.But i have never seen profit being anything but the primary motive.And it does not besmirch an author to have their works used as such.Clinton gave away endless promotional books payed for by his backers. Believe me all of that put together is still small potatoes to the total.
Sarah is at this time a beloved figure to many.Her show on Alaska is actually beautifully done.Im sure she can sell plenty of books without too many shenanigans. As my ultra liberal older sister said of the show….”she seems ok.Not at all what the press portrays her as.”Well that is a start.The left has got to stop this elitist compartmentalizing people into these unflattering images ,and give respect to peoples alternative viewpoints.If they don’t they will be transcended.That is what we are seeing now.
Actually, the ratings for Palin’s Alaska outdoors show have declined each week since its premier–declined so much that TLC (which, hah!, used to stand for The Learning Channel) had to rope Kate Gosselin and her brood into a special camping trip with Mrs. Palin in an effort to juice the ratings. And Palin’s second book, while on the NY Times list, is moving far fewer copies than her first. I believe the woman has made a serious misjudgment with regard to the concept of overexposure, as her forays into TV and publishing have done nothing to move the needle of public opinion on whether or not she is fit to be president. With the exception of a rabid base of fans, Americans either shudder at the idea, or laugh uproariously.
Well JAck the great thing about her is that up or down in some clowns rating system…she doesn’t give a damn.She has a great life.I have been hearing since she appeared on the Alaskan scene that she would not last another month.So let me be dubious in your hopes to her imminent demise.As far as Americans shuddering or laughing at the idea of her in office let me say two words…Barrack Obama.No qualification at all for the job and yet there he sits.With his rabid base of fans.A dry pole in GAllop recently found 53%of Americans agreeing with her views and 23 with the president.She mocks the insanity of the left with great ablomb and the only comeback seems to be- your dumb…your ugly…your white trash…your daughter is a whore.If I where you i would keep on that tact and stay away from substance.Anytime you think your ahead in that debate just say the two words…Barrack Obama.
The practice of right wing books being bought in bulk is so widespread that the NY Times best seller lists notes them in their best seller listings by title.
“A dagger (â┚¬Ã‚) indicates that some bookstores report receiving bulk orders.”
Good grief, that made up poll again. It’s one of Scotty’s Rasmussens, not Gallup and the [fake] numbers are Sarah 52%, Obama 40%. Poor Mikey, can’t keep his own bullsh*t straight.
Ps
love to hear what Nielsen does described as “some clown’s rating systemâ┚¬Ã‚¦” They’ve only been in business for over 90 years…what do they know?