The O'Reilly Factor has promised a “vigorous” reply to a group of Vermont high school students who produced a video response to a hit job on their town by the show's producer. Bill O'Reilly even had the nerve to call this group of earnest, well-meaning kids “pinheads.”
In case you missed it, I posted a few weeks ago the video by these students from Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. It was their carefully thought-out and researched answer to an agenda-driven, much-edited series of “man on the street” interviews with O’Reilly Factor ambusher/producer Jesse Watters. The segment was clearly designed to make the town and the state look bad.
The students gave the Fox report a “professional integrity audit” based on the ethics code of the Society of Professional Journalists. The results were not pretty for Watters, O’Reilly or Fox. From my previous post:
“We lost count” of the violations of the code of ethics; Fox engaged in “character assassination” and “rank propaganda,” not journalism: “The facts have been so distorted by O’Reilly and Watters that the real truth is totally unrecognizable.”
“You chose to take a mean-spirited approach to America,” one young person countered. And really, there’s no denying it.
“By watching Fox News, we have learned buckets about journalism – what to do and more importantly, what never to do. It is our hope that Fox News can learn the very same from watching us,” the students concluded. “Can you commit to raising the bar by sticking to high standards and the code of ethics of journalism?”
Sadly, the answer appears to be no.
Last night, O’Reilly played the victim by saying that Watters “is being attacked by Vermont people.”
Watters joined in. Instead of owning up to having been busted by a group of high school students, Watters denigrated them by suggesting they were just angry because Vermonters “didn’t do very well” in Watters’ “report.”
O’Reilly said, “So you, on Monday, are going to reply to these pinheads, right?”
“Right, we are going to have a vigorous defense of my journalistic integrity, point by point,” said Watters.
“So Vermont, get ready. Watters is after you,” O’Reilly warned.
Sorry, O’Reilly. My money’s on the kids.
Watch it below, from last night’s The O’Reilly Factor (the part about Vermont is at the end). I’m including the students’ video underneath, along with the original Factor report from July.
I think Steve Allen invented the gag on the old Tonight Show.
And Richard and Antoinette are quite right. I still live on the Island (and yeah, O’Loofah grew up in Westbury not Levittown). Chaminade is the toughest Catholic boys school to get into. My cousin got in, flunked out after a year. 75 is a passing grade there. He got in because my aunt KNEW somebody there. I’m not saying that represents all students there, most of whom are damm good in school. But a couple get in thru a nice donation to the Church or they know someone.
Bill O’Reilly is a clown and Watters is a pig but you are OBVIOUSLY taking this too seriously and I suspect that is EXACTLY what they are going to say to the students.
The kids did a great job but NOBODY thinks Watter’s schtick is intended to be journalism.
“Since Billy wants to discuss high school students let’s flashback to his own high school, Chaminade High School, a private, uppity, predominantly white male Catholic school on Long Island.”
And always remember this Antoinette: as a former Long Islander I can state this as as IRREFUTABLE FACT: from its founding in 1930, ChaminadeHigh School has ALWAYS been one of the TOUGHEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS to get into. Mark my words: ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO ONE gets into an elite Catholic high school like Chaminade unless he meets AT LEAST TWO of the following requirements:
1. LOTS OF $$$$
2. STRAIGHT A’s (or near straight A’s)
3. THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS — because he was NOWHERE NEAR an honor student at St. Brigid’s Elementary School in Westbury (not Levittown as O’Lielly always claims), Junior himself had to get help from his dear old dad to get into Chaminade — William O’Reilly Sr. personally knew one of Chaminade’s guidance counselors.
Since Billy wants to discuss high school students let’s flashback to his own high school, Chaminade High School, a private, uppity, predominantly white male Catholic school on Long Island.
Read the archive New York Times article on Billy’s former school.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/nyregion/long-island/28cathli.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.mediaite.com/online/when-they-were-young-tv-personalities-high-school-yearbook-photos/#5
His parents wasted their money sending him to this school. Look at him now! A foul-mouthed cafeteria Catholic. No wonder his former wife bailed out of their marriage.
Billy is too lazy-or too old- to go out in the field. He rather send Toxic Watters to do the job.
Billy and Toxic Watters are not the only ones to blame. We lay blame on that third-rate senior producer. This is the same man who use to work with that other psychotic man, Hannocchio. Yeah, we are talking about you, bad eyes.
NOTE TO MOUNT ANTHONY UNION
Watters and Billy attended private Christian schools. Funny, they don’t act like Christians. Use that angle against them. Use these gems in the student newspaper.
Fox “News” Host O’Reilly Attacks High School Students
Fox “News” Host O’Reilly Calls High School Students Pinheads
Fox “News” Host O’Reilly Badmouths High School Students
Former Teacher And Fox “News” Host O’Reilly Bullies High School Students
Fox “News” Christian Hosts Lashes Out Against High School Students
Stay away from their affiliates. They are toxic, too.
http://mediamatters.org/video/2006/03/03/oreilly-threatened-radio-show-caller-with-a-lit/135011
Yeah, should be pathetic to watch.
And just wait until you hear the comments on Fox Nation about how all these high school kids are commie atheists elitist intellectuals.
Bill, a new low — even for you.
