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Television Week editor Alex Ben Block accepted an invitation into the Fox News lair of Bill O'Reilly and lived to tell about it.
It was an irresistible invitation to go a few rounds with the undisputed heavyweight champion of American news talk. To face all of my fears and push aside my natural paranoia, to take the risk that I might end up O'Reilly roadkill. His was an electronic bully pulpit that he used to praise the chosen and punish fools who dared to disagree...This was Mr. Bill the killer interviewer, the most dangerous man with a microphone currently prowling prime time.[skip]
I kept wondering whether I was somehow being ambushed. About a week earlier, I had written a column about the unusually aggressive methods employed by Fox News Channel public relations personnel, including the selective blacklisting of journalists they don't like...Then the truth came out...My job was to be the straw horse for all the ills of the media.
[skip]
My appearance turned out to be the quickest seven minutes of my life. By the time I was in the chair being wired with earpiece and mike, I was aware the whole setup was an opportunity for Mr. Bill to rage against the media machine that spit out those stories he didn't like. They weren't present, so he vented in my direction. I wasn't having any of it. I wasn't from Daytona or Miami. I would stand by every word in TV Week...
The TV Week website has a new design since the last time I looked, and a free but lengthy registration barrier.
Slow news day, Kevin?
Talk about falling for cheap (and I mean cheap) media bluster. Who cares that some "journalist" from TV Week presumably skunked his shorts over an O'Reilly appearence, anyway?
With more experience, Mr. Block may be able to avoid fouling himself in the future, but his lack of adequate television experience has nothing to to with Mr. O'Reilly.
If Huell Hauser had stuck a microphone in the man's face, chances are Mr. Block would have still broken into a flopsweat.
Give up the lame shots at O'Reilly, Kevin. It's tired.
You mean like you just did, Ricey?
Posted by: Del at August 9, 2004 02:40 PMActually, Del, I have personal experience with Mr. O'Reilly from which I speak, so no.
Posted by: Ricey at August 9, 2004 04:48 PMActually, Ricey, your unqualified personal experience doesn't in any way substantiate the wild generalizations you've submitted here, so you lose.
Posted by: Del at August 9, 2004 06:13 PM
of LA Observed
That story is classic O'Reilly. He's such a dick. His M.O. is often to invite someone on the show who is tangentially (at best) associated with one of his straw dogs. Then he attempts to paint the guest into a corner they were never standing in.
Posted by: Ricey at August 9, 2004 02:25 PM