Are they kidding with this segment? Who are your current enemies?, flirts Walters. Given Glenn Beck’s rise on the Fox News channel, you’d think it would be him. But it isn’t.
Love him or hate him, Bill O’Reilly has been ranting for a long time. It wasn’t until recently that he took a page from his “Inside Edition” days, sending a producer of “The Factor” out to begin ambushing people O’Reilly wants to embarrass. They’ve done it to judges, politicians, media people, correspondents, Bill Moyers, as well as Columbia Journalism Review’s Mike Hoyt, and recently, Amanda Terkel, Managing Editor of ThinkProgress.org and Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. She became the subject of Mr. O’Reilly’s ambush tactics when Ms. Terkel commented about Mr. O’Reilly’s appearing at a benefit for rape victims, using this clip from a “Radio Factor” segment.
But really, Bill, is sending your producer out to ambush people any way for a “professional journalist” to behave?
Anything for ratings, because with Glenn Beck now second to Rush according to the wingnuts, it’s a ratings war over at Fox.
But “The View,” who rarely ducks from a good controversy, hit the mat for Bill-O today, acting like they never heard of these tactics or the controversy swirling around O’Reilly’s latest target, Amanda Terkel. The video of the O’Reilly segment has been circling the web since it aired. But “The View” ladies today had nothing to say about it, the original controversy about Mr. O’Reilly’s radio show, or Ms. Terkel taking him on. Considering that the issue involves the subject of rape and murder of a young woman, you’d think “The View” would have at least showed some interest.
They couldn’t be bothered with such things. Shrugging it off, giving Mr. O’Reilly a platform on which he could get in another shot at the “left wing blogs.”
Amanda Terkel writes about it again today on The Daily Beast, so I thought I’d share it, especially since the ladies of “The View” gave Bill his platform to attack the “left wing blogs,” but they couldn’t be bothered to ask him about rape and murder, or about the tactics that evidently have Mr. O’Reilly sending producers out to stalk subjects, because…? He’ll do anything to beat Glenn Beck at the ratings game.
Ms. Terkel tells her story again, today on The Daily Beast:
… In the past, O’Reilly has said of his ambush victims: “We always ask them on the program first, or to issue a clear statement explaining their actions.” That’s not true. I was never asked to do either. When O’Reilly aired this segment, he never showed me saying that I would be happy to speak one-on-one with someone from the Alexa Foundation if he or she called me.
How did O’Reilly’s producers find me?
[...] The rest of the weekend I was constantly wondering how long these two men had been following me and whether they were still tracking me. Ever since, I have caught myself constantly looking over my shoulder, being more cautious about where I go, and carefully monitoring the threatening e-mails I’ve been receiving from O’Reilly’s viewers. …
I saw Ms. Terkel on Rachel Maddow’s program. What O’Reilly’s people did to her was beyond outrageous, it was scary. She showed amazing professionalism in the face of a truly obnoxious act.
I live in the Washington, DC area and have been to Winchester, VA where they accosted Ms. terkel. It’s certainly somewhat off the beaten path, and they must have followed her for a good distance. The two people masquerading as journalists should be embarrassed.
The View just solidifies their position as a joke.
Was Ms. Goldberg there? And she let this piece of feces slide? There’s a reason I have been apalled at the mental wasteland of daytime TV for years. Here’s a good example.
This really was appalling on all levels, including the silence from Whoopi Goldberg, as you say, secularh. I had no idea where it was, DaveB., so from your description it obviously was journalistic stalking.
Pepper spray?
Not only did they “ambush” her they followed her over state lines.