Oops! NPR agrees O'reilly interview not fair

[Lucky]

from their Ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin



...

I agree with the listeners who complained about the tone of the interview: Her questions were pointed from the beginning. She went after O'Reilly using critical quotes from the Franken book and a New York Times book review. That put O'Reilly at his most prickly and defensive mode, and Gross was never able to get him back into the interview in an effective way...by coming across as a pro-Franken partisan rather than a neutral and curious journalist, Gross did almost nothing that might have allowed the interview to develop...By the time the interview was about halfway through, it felt as though Terry Gross was indeed "carrying Al Franken's water," as some listeners say. It was not about O'Reilly's ideas, or his attitudes or even about his book. It was about O'Reilly as political media phenomenon. That's a legitimate subject for discussion, but in this case, it was an interview that was, in the end, unfair to O'Reilly.

I did not know they even had an ombudsman but am happy he is honestly appraising the interview for what it was.

 

[PainTrain]

I find it hilarious that, of all people, O' Reilly is bitching and moaning about pointed questions and bulling interviewing tactics

 

[Martin]

Glad to see they're admiting their mistake. I guess they didn't want to earn a reputation like O'Reilly's

 

[glenn1]

I find it hilarious that, of all people, O' Reilly is bitching and moaning about pointed questions and bulling interviewing tactics

I think the Ombudsman is apologizing that the line of questioning made for a lousy interview, not that pointed questions were asked. And since O'Reilly was there to plug his book, it would have been normal courtesy to allow him to outline the basic premise of the book he's there to plug before the non-book related questions get asked.

 

[PainTrain]

Can't argue that one Glenn

 

[Witling]

I'm impressed with the first post. Gee, facts! I heard the O'Reilly interview and I thought it was fair. But then, O'Reilly and I couldn't agree on whether it was day or night, so perhaps I'm prejudiced. Here's a link on who Jeffrey Dvorking, the ombundsman, is. First of all, he's Canadian. Here's a bunch about him.

Jeffrey Dvorkin

 

[heartsurgeon]

National Proletariate Radio -
last Communist propaganda organ


they are so ridiculously bias in there "news" reporting it's laughable.
they had a series of interviews with "foreigners" to get an idea of what the "world" thinks
about the united states.

they interviewed the french and germans....

give me a break....

 

[Minchenden]

National Proletariate Radio -
last Communist propaganda organ


they are so ridiculously bias in there "news" reporting it's laughable.
they had a series of interviews with "foreigners" to get an idea of what the "world" thinks
about the united states.

they interviewed the french and germans....

give me a break....
Text

 

[Minchenden]

Apologies. Phone rang and I hit wrong button.

What I was going to say:

Obviously Heartsurgeon still has not figured out the true meaning of communist, proletariate,foreigner or news.

Are the French & Germans not foreigners. If they had asked virtually any other nationalities they would have received the same depressing answer.

And their news is generally factual and with very little spin.

Unlike some I could mention.

 

[outriding]

Originally posted by: heartsurgeon
National Proletariate Radio -
last Communist propaganda organ


they are so ridiculously bias in there "news" reporting it's laughable.
they had a series of interviews with "foreigners" to get an idea of what the "world" thinks
about the united states.

they interviewed the french and germans....

give me a break....

oh my god just because someone interviews another angle doesnt mean they are bad. that is called good reporting to get the whole facts just not one side of them. but i guess too many sides are just too much for you to handle

also doesnt the US goverment give some money to NPR ? since they do and you are implying that they are "Communist" wont that make the US goverment Communist ?

i guess if it not put to music then it is not news ?

 

[her209]

oreilly is a jackass. let em have a taste of his own medicine.

 

[CaptnKirk]

The French and the Germans were instalments in an ongoing series.
Yesterday the segment was with Polish Citizens. It continues.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: heartsurgeon
National Proletariate Radio -
last Communist propaganda organ


they are so ridiculously bias in there "news" reporting it's laughable.
they had a series of interviews with "foreigners" to get an idea of what the "world" thinks
about the united states.

they interviewed the french and germans....

give me a break....

Wow, just wow.

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: heartsurgeon
National Proletariate Radio -
last Communist propaganda organ


they are so ridiculously bias in there "news" reporting it's laughable.
they had a series of interviews with "foreigners" to get an idea of what the "world" thinks
about the united states.

they interviewed the french and germans....

give me a break....

?

 

[LunarRay]

I think it appropriate to interview each of the nations 'that matter'. But, within each the selection should be somewhat fair. To go to an anti US rally and interview folks might be considered questionable reporting..

 

[0roo0roo]

oreilly spends his time on his high horse, what does he expect from an interview?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
oreilly spends his time on his high horse, what does he expect from an interview?

Maybe to talk about his book, since it was why he was there.

CkG

 

[Moonbeam]

O'Reilly had and took every opportunity in that interview to present and defend his position. I thought he did a good job till he went paranoid. Turned out he's a but immature. The Frankin thingi is hot in the air. F was on Prairie Home Companion today. A hoot.

 

[Witling]

Moonbeam, You mispelled "butt" in "Turned out he's a but imature."

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Whitling
Moonbeam, You mispelled "butt" in "Turned out he's a but imature."

Hehe. so I did.

 

[DealMonkey]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Isn't that what they say? Further, O'Reilly got a taste of his own medicine, didn't he?

EDIT: After listening to the whole interview, I think O'Reilly started to get upset about a comment in the Oct 6th People magazine that NPR was about the read. I think he got upset only because the comment essentially complained about how after People Mag gave O'Reilly's book a bad review, O'Reilly featured the reviewer in his "Most ridiculous item of the day" - basically giving him a lot of crap and calling him a "pinhead."

I think NPR asked him a lot of pointed questions to try and get to the bottom of many of the items concerning O'Reilly's life that were discussed in Franken's book. O'Reilly simply got way too defensive. I didn't think the tone of the interview was that hostile until O'Reilly made it that way by launching into his lame little speech at the end and then walking out of the interview.

He acted like a beligerent little 12-year old who got called out. As I said, a dose of his own medicine. O'Reilly comes across as a vindicitive little beeyatch who can dish it out but can't take it. Waaaaaaaa. Poor baby.

 

[kaizersose]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Isn't that what they say? Further, O'Reilly got a taste of his own medicine, didn't he?

this news story isnt about o'reilly's fairness or lack-there-of. it is about NPR, a publicly funded radio station, being biased against certain guests. if he was being interviewed on CNN, ABC or NBC it wouldnt matter--those are private companies and are allowed to show any slant they please. NPR is publicly funded and they should treat all guests equally.

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: kaizersose

Originally posted by: DealMonkey
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Isn't that what they say? Further, O'Reilly got a taste of his own medicine, didn't he?

this news story isnt about o'reilly's fairness or lack-there-of. it is about NPR, a publicly funded radio station, being biased against certain guests. if he was being interviewed on CNN, ABC or NBC it wouldnt matter--those are private companies and are allowed to show any slant they please. NPR is publicly funded and they should treat all guests equally.

i agree. but it is run by human beings...
its a loft goal and if they stumble every so often good for them to admit it. i, personally, think they were fair with it. they treated o'reilly as a political guest. they treated franken as a humorist. i think bill got too upset without giving them a chance. listening to the whole interview, he really seemed to get bent out of shape at an inapropriate time.

i like the majority of NPR programming and my big problem is that o'reilly has been blaming NPR as a whole when one woman gave the interview.
maybe they shouldnt be funded the way they are...
dont think that changes that the interview was pretty good.

 

[Lucky]

a good interview? hardly. even the ombudsman will admit that it wasnt!

 

[Zebo]

What a pussy. That bombastic in-your-face asshat is much worse with his guests. No real surprise though I remember his Debate with Frankin where he looked smitten like a dog tucking tail between his legs when confronted with the facts.