Bill O’Reilly Defends Against Critics Of Fox News Coverage Of Haiti

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by Colby Hall | 7:30 am, January 19th, 2010

» 13 comments

The situation in Haiti has had an interesting effect on US cable news programming: the opinion-based programming that typically dominates the ratings suddenly feels less significant with video of bleeding children trapped under rubble are getting broadcast. As such, the past week has seen more news than opinion on most news outlets. But the partisan detractors have not taken a break, and predictably, Fox News has received criticism for its coverage in Haiti. Last night, Bill O’Reilly pushed back.

While Fox News hasn’t had as comprehensive coverage in Haiti as CNN, they have had just as stellar reportage, led by reporter Steve Harrigan, who has been on the scene from the earliest moments. Harrigan’s approach has been one of dispassionate professionalism, a welcome and stark difference from the approach from others.

And on the rare occasions where opinions have seeped into the news coverage (as when Shepard Smith criticized Pat Robertson‘s blaming the earthquake on Haitian’s “pact to the devil,” it has been a welcome and refreshing take.

Transcript of his comments are after the video:

The far left trying to say that fox news doesn’t care about Haiti, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Writing in the Los Angeles Times fox news hater James rainy says “CNN does it right in Haiti but Fox drops the ball. O’Reilly even devoted the first quarter of his hour long program to the quake, focusing mostly on his concerns that us aid will be lost if it can’t be kept away from thugs and Haiti’s corrupt leaders .”"

Well, yeah, and those are the Obama administration concerns as well, Jim, as we heard from Secretary of State Clinton. for you far left guys no, honest reportage is acceptable.

Another committed leftist Peter Beinart picked the up the criticism writing on the net “it wasn’t just that Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck largely ignored the earthquake. They implicitly explained why they were ignoring it because they didn’t believe an aggressive Washington response would do any good .”

I can’t speak for the other guys about Beinart’s lying about me, as I clearly stated I support the Obama administration largess on our behalf, and I personally donated a lot of money to the Haitian Health foundation over the years. Just today, I made another significant donation.

Beinart, an intellectually dishonest man, based his assessment on out of context quotes spit out there by Media Matters, our old pals, the radical left whacked out website in business to smear anyone who isnt far left. Checks thinks its disgraceful for the kool-aid drinkers to exploit the suffering in Haiti by attacking their political rivals. It is hateful and demonstrates how low these people are.

One final note. last week the Factor at 8:00 p.m. destroyed CNN and MSNBC in the ratings we tripled them in audience. Once again, the folks know who is telling the truth and folks have made the call. by the way, Fox News our coverage on Haiti has been terrific. Our correspondents have been great.

Bill O'Reilly, Earthquake, Haiti, Peter Beinart, shepard smith, Steve Harrigan

http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

I do not understand the partisan critics who accuse FOX of “ignoring” the problem when all they have to do is flip on the TV. I have skipped around to many networks and have seen almost comparable coverage by all. Just because it is not blanket 24/7 coverage that does not equate to ignoring it. I just have a hard time with all the people who are dictating what constitutes acceptable coverage of this story and get judgemental when it does not meet their own standard.

By that measure you can get upset with the LA Times and Beinart, because they were not covering the Haiti tragedy, they were reporting on FOX News. How distatsetful, with such an important story out there to report on!
bradstyris

Of all the organizations that are involved in news in some way shape or form, reporting, commenting etc, there is only one organization that I have found that has not made an appeal to help the people of Haiti. The TV networks have done so and so have the cable networks, Huffington Post has links to donate. The one organization that has not made a plea or added links to their sites. Wow, surprise, it is media matters. These dweebs put up a banner ad to donate to them before the new year and they maintain a link at all times to donate to their cause. But the people of Haiti? nothing nada ,zilch. And yet these hypocrites criticize others for their coverage. Business as usual at media matters, me first, me first.

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The Real Royal King

There is a strong racial bias at FOX, to be sure. Oddly, it is not so much anti-Black as it is pro-White as in the Tea Party White variety. FOX, in protecting its core fan base, panders to these Whites. That necessarily means that coverages of Blacks, even Haitian Blacks, must be minimized lest the Tea Party Whites take offense. I am sure that this is all a bit unfair to FOX, but I have little sympathy. FOX created this atmosphere by its shameless promotion of the White Tea Party movement. Ailes, Beck and Hannity are reaping what they have sown. There is a justice in that.
personwhomakescomments

That’s all BOR has…his precious ratings….his precious, precious numbers.

I guess that makes up for the lack of heart & compassion him and his Fox News primetime brethren lack…
http://www.facebook.com/people/Stewart-Smithwick/187101524 Stewart Smithwick

I guess your right The Real Royal King. Fox has shown nothing but complete bias when it comes to race. They just hate black people and never give them the time of day on any of their shows. Last time I saw it they told me to take away money from Haiti. Get real, take off your blinders and have an open mind. If the commentators that you listed were black saying the things they said would you say they are racist? Stop blaming everything on race. I guess the everybody at Fox hates black people. DO NOT bring race into everything.
The Real Royal King

I didn’t realize, Stewie, FOX had told people to take money away from Haiti. That is troubling!
timzank

bradstyris, nice!! Kind of telling isn’t it? Media matters sez “do as I say, not as I do”….
timzank

Real Royal, are you a person of color who has been personally affected by race (if so please expound on that) or just another white dude with guilt pangs because you don’t really have any friends of color?
KiKi

How ridiculous, anything to bitch about! I do not want to see 24/7 coverage on Haiti, does that make me a racist? I think some of the coverage has been exploiting. Get the cameras off people injured, in shock and grieving. I know that’s what I would, a camera shoved in my face after a devastation such as this.(NOT) Oh, but I guess it makes for riveting, entertaining, exciting television for you voyeurs, you soul suckers lapping up other peoples misery.

Is twelve hours, fifteen hours of coverage a day enough? Geeze!!
m

Fox News isn’t covering Haiti as much as the other channels because it’s hard for them to spin the death of hundreds of thousands of people into their typical pro-conservative, anti-Obama schtick. They tried – and O’Reilly did on the first day, but there’s only so much you can spin without crossing the line after hundreds of thousands of people died.
The Real Royal King

Timzank: neither.
timzank

“m says:
January 19, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Fox News isn’t covering Haiti as much as the other channels because it’s hard for them to spin the death of hundreds of thousands of people into their typical pro-conservative, anti-Obama schtick. They tried – and O’Reilly did on the first day, but there’s only so much you can spin without crossing the line after hundreds of thousands of people died.”

Hey M, either scroll to the top of the cover page of Mediaite or you can use the link I’ve provided.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fnc-1-cnn-2-in-all-categories-as-last-weeks-haiti-coverage-ends/

Kind of shoots your theory in the ass doesn’t it?
Jelperman

So what? Pro wrestling on USA Network and the titty-flicks on Cinemax get great ratings, too. Come to think of it, Wrestling and skin-flicks are more reliable sources of news coverage than Falafel O’LIE-ly, no matter how many times he threatens to sic “Fox Security” on people.