Bill O'Reilly

[rholio 339]

1. A report by Mother Jones finds that Fox anchor Bill O'Reilly appears to have told false stories about his time reporting in a war zone.
2. The report, by Mother Jones' David Corn and Daniel Schulman, examines O'Reilly's repeated claims to have seen combat while working as a CBS correspondent in Argentina during the 1982 Falklands war.
3. Corn and Schulman find that O'Reilly's on-air claims are not supported by his own memoirs or the recollection of other CBS employees at the time. He was, they conclude, "claiming he acted heroically in a war zone that he apparently never set foot in."
4. O'Reilly told Politico that the Mother Jones piece is "a piece of garbage," and called Corn "a despicable guttersnipe" out to get him. "I was not on the Falkland Islands and I never said I was," O'Reilly told Politico. "I was in Buenos Aires ... In Buenos Aires we were in a combat situation after the Argentines surrendered."

The accusation against O'Reilly

O'Reilly has claimed that he saw combat around the Falklands war. In a 2013 Fox News segment, for example, he said, "I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete."

Corn and Schulman document a number of similar claims from O'Reilly — and then argue that these claims appear likely to be false.

Here's the core of their piece:

[O'Reilly's] own account of his time in Argentina in his 2001 book, The No Spin Zone, contains no references to O'Reilly experiencing or covering any combat during the Falklands war. In the book, which in part chronicles his troubled stint as a CBS News reporter, O'Reilly reports that he arrived in Buenos Aires soon before the Argentine junta surrendered to the British, ending the 10-week war over control of two territories far off the coast of Argentina. There is nothing in this memoir indicating that O'Reilly witnessed the fighting between British and Argentine military forces — or that he got anywhere close to the Falkland Islands, which are 300 miles off Argentina's shore and about 1,200 miles south of Buenos Aires.

"Nobody from CBS got to the Falklands," Bob Schieffer, the chief CBS correspondent covering the war at the time, told Mother Jones. Susan Zirinsky, a CBS producer who worked on Falklands coverage, said the same thing: "Nobody got to the war zone during the Falklands war."

O'Reilly's defense

O'Reilly says that he never claimed to have been in the Falklands. Rather, he says, his anecdotes about being in a war zone refer to his time in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, during the war.

"Having survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands war, I know that life-and-death decisions are made in a flash," he wrote in one 2004 column, for example.

Corn and Schulman say that even his narrative about Buenos Aires is false. "The CBS Evening News that night aired about a minute of video of the protest, apparently including some of the footage that O'Reilly and his camera team had obtained. It showed angry Argentines yelling and denouncing the junta that had lost the war," they write.

"The CBS report said nothing about people being killed. It does not match O'Reilly's dramatic characterization of the event in his book; the video on the broadcast did not depict 'major violence up close and personal,'" as O'Reilly at one point claimed.

NBC News' Brian Williams recently resigned from the Medal of Honor foundation over falsifying his own stories of seeing combat in Iraq.

 

 

http://www.vox.com/2015/2/19/8072755/report-bill-oreilly-fabricated-war-stories-on-air

 

[IGotWorms 3,297]

Fox News - nobody expects any better

[rholio 339]

O'Reilly with a quick response.

 

“It’s a total hit piece,” O’Reilly told Deadline about a report in Mother Jones about O’Reilly’s claims he was a war correspondent during the Falklands war, saying in a post that some of O’Reilly’s stories “don’t withstand scrutiny — even claiming he acted heroically in a war zone that he apparently never set foot in.”

The piece’s author David Corn is a “despicable human being who’s been going after us for years,” O’Reilly added.

“O’Reilly has repeatedly told his audience that he was a war correspondent during the Falklands war and that he experienced combat during that 1982 conflict between England and Argentina,” Mother Jones says in its report. “He has often invoked this experience to emphasize that he understands war as only someone who has witnessed it could. As

, “I’ve been there. That’s really what separates me from most of these other bloviators. I bloviate, but I bloviate about stuff I’ve seen. They bloviate about stuff that they haven’t.”

In its report, Mother Jones cites Susan Zirinsky, a longtime CBS News producer who helped manage the network’s coverage of the war from Buenos Aires who is quoted saying, of American reporters, “Nobody got to the war zone during the Falklands war.” She is cited as telling Mother Jones she does not remember what O’Reilly did during his time in Argentina. “But she notes that the military junta kept US reporters from reaching the islands: ‘You weren’t allowed on by the Argentinians. No CBS person got there.’,” Mother Jones reported.

The publication also interviewed Bob Schieffer, who was CBS News’ lead correspondent covering the Falklands war. “Nobody from CBS got to the Falklands. I came close. We’d been trying to get somebody down there. It was impossible,” Schieffer told Mother Jones. He did note that NBC News reporter Robin Lloyd was the only American network correspondent to reach the islands. “I remember because I got my butt scooped on that,” Schieffer is quoted as saying. “He got out there and we were all trying to get there.” Schieffer added, “For us, you were a thousand miles from where the fighting was. So we had some great meals.”

“Every single thing I ever said about my career is true. It’s verifiable,” O’Reilly responded to Deadline. “The field reports, they went on, the video is there. I was praised for the reporting,” the Fox News Channel star said of his work back then for CBS News. “This is a bunch of garbage.”

O’Reilly said he would not discuss the Mother Jones post on his show tonight because it already had taped but “I’m probably going to have to mention it tomorrow. The bigger picture is this political outfit Mother Jones,” O’Reilly said. “ David Corn works for MSNBC,” he said of Corn, who is a contributor for that cable news network.

“We’re killing them in the ratings. We’re taking millions of dollars away from them; any damage they can do to me damages the Fox News Channel. Damage the tentpole, damage the main guy — everybody knows this.”

O’Reilly famously defended Brian Williams when he appeared recently on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel late night show, declaring the internet a “cesspool.”

“We’re living in an era now where on the internet you can say anything you want to say…and people pick it up and tweet about it or whatever. I’m lucky because I can fight back, but most people can’t.”

O’Reilly said he has not spoken to Williams recently, explaining, “I”m not a good friend of his. I’ve known him over the years, but I thought what they did to him was way more than what he did in his embellishments and I don’t like the whole culture of destroying people and that’s what Corn is trying to do to me.”

NBC News put Williams on six month suspension as it continues to investigate reports he greatly exaggerated some of his reporting claims, including flying in a helicopter in the early days of the Iraq War that was hit by an RPG, and watching a body float by his hotel in New Orleans after Katrina.

“[Corn] is going to fail, because he’s lying and I can prove it. But that does not men he’s not going to try…and some will believe him.”

 

 

https://tv.yahoo.com/news/bill-o-reilly-mother-jones-003253666.html

[IGotWorms 3,297]

I have to say I do agree with O'Reilly about the Internet culture constantly tearing people down. I find it disconcerting

[SUXBNME 1,319]

I used to really enjoy his show a few years ago or so. Can't remember exactly why I quit watching. Mebbe because he just got too predictable, too annoying, too whatever.

Does he still pull in the ratings that he used to? I have no idea, but I would seriously doubt that he does.

[NewbieJr 540]

Even if it's true, it wouldn't have the sane effect as Williams lying. O'Reilly is an opinion guy. Not a journalist. Williams is supposed to be reporting the news. Facts. For him to be a known liar ruins his credibility. People no longer want to get their news from him. No one is going to O'Reilly to get their news. They just want to hear his take on the news. Plus, he's a conservative on a conservative network. The people who watch him love his conservative viewpoints and that's why they watch. And that won't change if they found out he lied about something. Nor should it.

[Mike Honcho 4,009]

“We’re living in an era now where on the internet you can say anything you want to say…and people pick it up and tweet about it or whatever. I’m lucky because I can fight back, but most people can’t.”

O’Reilly said he has not spoken to Williams recently, explaining, “I”m not a good friend of his. I’ve known him over the years, but I thought what they did to him was way more than what he did in his embellishments and I don’t like the whole culture of destroying people and that’s what Corn is trying to do to me.”

 

Ironic statements coming from Bill. Guess it's okay, though cause he's on TV and not the internet saying anything he wants.

[IGotWorms 3,297]

 

Ironic statements coming from Bill. Guess it's okay, though cause he's on TV and not the internet saying anything he wants.

It's true though, regardless of the messenger

[posty 2,296]

I have to say I do agree with O'Reilly about the Internet culture constantly tearing people down. I find it disconcerting

True and it will only get worse and worse...

[Mike Honcho 4,009]

It's true though, regardless of the messenger

 

True, but I'm going to mock the messenger when he has spent the majority of his career doing exactly what he now condemns.

[Sho Nuff 719]

I have to say I do agree with O'Reilly about the Internet culture constantly tearing people down. I find it disconcerting

Agreed...and i dont like things ive heard on his shows. He makes a better guest interview and he has written some very good books.

[drobeski 3,061]

he's a blowhard who doesn't let guest finish their points, aggravating show to watch, he's right on most occasions but i prefer a two sided debate.

[NewbieJr 540]

I would much rather listen to O'Reilly than Hannity. Hannity is such a squirrelly little weasel. And he really cuts off anyone with a differing opinion.

 

I like when O'Reilly is on the Daily Show. They are polar opposites but allow each other to make their points. They have some awesome debates, and though it can get a little vicious, they seem to like each other a bit. Or at least respect each other.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Yeah, he's kind of screwed factually.

 

"O'Reilly says that he never claimed to have been in the Falklands."

 

 

“I was in a situation one time in a war in Argentina in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete, and the army was chasing us,” O’Reilly said on air April 17, 2013."

 

He also wrote that in his book The No Spin Zone, so he can't claim to have "misspoken".

 

However, Fox has been nailed so many times for so many things that nobody takes them seriously. It's like BOR can possibly lose credibility and his fans aren't exactly connoisseurs of fact.

 

Still, it's worth a chuckle or two.

[wiffleball 4,631]

And please, let's remember the BOR's gig previous to Fox was as the Host of the well respected journalistic pinacle - Inside Edition.

[drobeski 3,061]

ok remembered

 

 

 

can someone get me a bigwhipdeedoodah up here in dis house

[Magnificent Bastard 190]

Most right wingers are chickenhawks. Makes sense.

[Vikings4ever 496]

“I was in a situation one time in a war in Argentina in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete, and the army was chasing us,” O’Reilly said on air April 17, 2013."

To be completely fair, that could be interpreted as, though poorly worded, specifying which conflict (the Falklands War).

[wiffleball 4,631]

To be completely fair, that could be interpreted as, though poorly worded, specifying which conflict (the Falklands War).

 

So, the equivalent would be: "I was in Cuba during the missile crisis". When, in fact, you were in Miami.

[Vikings4ever 496]

 

So, the equivalent would be: "I was in Cuba during the missile crisis". When, in fact, you were in Miami.

Actually, it'd be "I was in Germany in World War II", and being in a town where the only fighting was with protestors.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Actually, it'd be "I was in Germany in World War II", and being in a town where the only fighting was with protestors.

are you aware of any German islands that I am NOT?

[drobeski 3,061]

more hack lefty fake outrage

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8QNLnlz6e8

[Mike Honcho 4,009]

more hack lefty fake outrage

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8QNLnlz6e8

 

 

Looks like real outrage from a guy who got caught lying....not sure how you conclude the left is outraged.

[rholio 339]

War of words continues from both sides, be interesting to see how this plays out:

 

UPDATED with David Corn’s responses: “In a way, it’s impossible to win a debate with O’Reilly because he is not bound by reality,” David Corn, author of the Mother Jones article about Bill O’Reilly, responded tonight after watching The O’Reilly Factor. During his “Talking Points” segmentthe Fox News Channel star savaged the article, the author and websites that have been covering the kerfuffle.

O’Reilly addressed the article at the top of his show tonight, telling viewers he is the victim of a “smear” campaign by a “low circulation” publication that is “considered by many the bottom rung of journalism in America.”

He’s referring to the Mother Jones article published yesterday, “Bill O’Reilly Has His Own Brian Williams Problem,” that drew comparisons between O’Reilly’s description of his work covering wars for CBS News and Williams, who was suspended by NBC News for six months as that division continues to investigate the degree to which Williams misrepresented his experiences covering various breaking news stories for NBC including the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina and other situations, including gifts he said, in talk show appearances, he received from members of the military. In the article, Mother Jones questions O’Reilly’s descriptions of some of his experiences as a CBS News correspondent covering the 1982 Falklands War between Great Britain and Argentina

O’Reilly has charged Mother Jones with “trying to take the Brian Williams situation and wrap it around my neck, for ideological reasons,” calling it “purely a political play to divert attention from the Williams situation.”

On his No. 1-rated cable news program tonight, O’Reilly said he spent most of last night digging through his basement and found documents from CBS News from his time in Buenos Aires covering the Falklands War, which he will show to viewers.

“I never said I was on the Falkland Islands, as Corn purports. I said I covered the Falklands War – which I did,” O’Reilly said.

In earlier interviews O’Reilly has said the use of the phrase “war zone” to describe his vantage point during the war, which is among the questioned raised in the article, a “shorthand.”

“Everybody knows you’re not there, because nobody (from the American news media) was there,” O’Reilly told the Associated Press today. He called “delusional” Mother Jones‘ suggestion that violence in Buenos Aires on the day of the surrender 33 years ago was not part of the war combat.

On tonight’s telecast of his program, O’Reilly described how, when Argentina surrendered to end the war, “I was covering the conflict from Argentina and Uruguay for CBS News. After learning of the surrender, angry mobs in Buenos Aires stormed the presidential palace – the Casa Rosada – trying to overthrow the government of General Leopoldo Galtieri. I was there on the street, with my camera crews. The violence was horrific, as Argentine soldiers fired into the crowd who were responding with violent acts of their own. My video of the combat led the CBS Evening News With Dan Rather that evening.” After that, he says, he filed a report on the subject that ran nationwide.

Corn tonight responded that Mother Jones examined various reports from that time, covering the protest in Buenos Aires after the Argentine junta surrendered to the British and, “no media reports of the event that we found referred to such dramatic violence or any fatalities. Not even the CBS News report on the protest that O’Reilly contributed to mentioned soldiers shooting and killing civilians.”

Instead, Corn said, “News accounts, including the CBS News report, noted that a crowd numbering in the thousands had gathered to hear the president, but people grew angry after learning Galtieri would not speak, with many denouncing him and his junta as traitors for surrendering to the Brits. Media accounts do not describe the scene as a mob storming the palace, but angry protesters who set fires, broke store windows, and jostled reporters.”

Among the documents O’Reilly told viewers tonight he found in his basement: a CBS internal memo from 33 years ago about his work, sent to the CBS bureau chief in Buenos Aires by the news desk in New York City. It reads:

Corn responded: “No one has suggested O’Reilly did not cover the protest or that the footage he obtained was not valuable for CBS News.”

“Doyle, O’Reilly didn’t have the time last night but would like to say many thanks for the riot piece last night. WCBS-TV and WCAU-TV both took the entire piece, instead of stripping it for pix. They called to say thanks for a fine piece.”

“Thanks again. Your piece made the late feed, a winner last night.”

O’Reilly also read a letter he says he wrote to his CBS News boss Ed Joyce praising his crew’s bravery after they got out of the situation on the streets of Buenos Aires.

On his show tonight, O’Reilly blasted Corn for writing “that I hammered Brian Williams, when everyone knows, I went out of my way on [Jimmy Kimmel Live] and The Factor to be compassionate to the man.”

Corn responded that O’Reilly also “decried the supposed culture of deception within the liberal media, and he proclaimed that the Williams controversy should prompt questioning of other “distortions” by left-leaning outlets.”

This morning, the editors in chief at Mother Jones sent an email/letter to Fox News EVP Programming Bill Shine and one of the network’s communications execs, saying it is concerned for the safety of the author after O’Reilly called for him to be “in the kill zone.”

O’Reilly today responded, “It’s simply a slang expression.”

 

 

https://tv.yahoo.com/news/bill-o-reilly-blasts-mother-232601368.html

[HenryHill9323 65]

more hack lefty fake outrage

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8QNLnlz6e8

Looks like BOR has the documentation that proves Corn is a lying lefty hack.

[BufordT 371]

 

True, but I'm going to mock the messenger when he has spent the majority of his career doing exactly what he now condemns.

Thank you. BOR doesn't get the fact the Corn is using BOR's own modus operandi on himself. Classic

[drobeski 3,061]

mother jones

[MDC 5,876]

I wouldn't care about this story, except for the rich irony of a guy like BOR whining about biased media assassination etc. and his dirtbag acolytes defending him.

[Mike Honcho 4,009]

Looks like BOR has the documentation that proves Corn is a lying lefty hack.

 

That doc does absolutely nothing to disprove the allegations against him.

 

Funny, in the Williams thread, left/right he's condemned for lying. This thread the usual suspects start making excuses, attacking the messenger... how shocking.

[rholio 339]

 

That doc does absolutely nothing to disprove the allegations against him.

 

Funny, in the Williams thread, left/right he's condemned for lying. This thread the usual suspects start making excuses, attacking the messenger... how shocking.

 

True. There's a lot more evidence against Williams, however. We'll see how this one plays out. O'Reilly's defense is what makes it funny, though.

[IGotWorms 3,297]

 

That doc does absolutely nothing to disprove the allegations against him.

 

Funny, in the Williams thread, left/right he's condemned for lying. This thread the usual suspects start making excuses, attacking the messenger... how shocking.

 

And they swore up and down in the Williams thread that they would be just as outraged if the accusations were against a righty Fox News guy

 

This is pretty much a non-story to me, but I gotta admit that the hypocrisy is amusing

[wiffleball 4,631]

I mean, what's to figure out here? Either you were on the Falkland Islands during the war. Or you were not. And Bill wrote and said that he was on the Falkland Islands. And now he says well I meant to say I was in Argentina. Well that's not what you said and thats not what you wrote.

 

it's not a huge deal, because you are a commentator. Just like Limbaugh. You're not a respected Senior Managing Editor for an entire network.

[HenryHill9323 65]

 

That doc does absolutely nothing to disprove the allegations against him.

 

Funny, in the Williams thread, left/right he's condemned for lying. This thread the usual suspects start making excuses, attacking the messenger... how shocking.

 

I have no dog in this fight. Don't care one way or the other about BOR.

 

However, it seems to me it is on Corn to prove his allegations, not on BOR to disprove them. Looks to me like the dispute is over whether or not BOR was in the Falklands. Corn says BOR claimed to be in the Falklands, BOR says he claimed to be in BA Argentina. BOR has clear documentation that he was where he claims he was.

 

Here is what Corn claims BOR said:

 

"I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete."

 

I guess one could parse that and say he claimed he was on the Falkland Islands. BOR can just as easily claim he was talking about being in Argentina during the Falklands war.

 

I guess we need to see the documentation of what Corn claims BOR said before concluding he lied.

[Mike Honcho 4,009]

 

I have no dog in this fight. Don't care one way or the other about BOR.

 

However, it seems to me it is on Corn to prove his allegations, not on BOR to disprove them. Looks to me like the dispute is over whether or not BOR was in the Falklands. Corn says BOR claimed to be in the Falklands, BOR says he claimed to be in BA Argentina. BOR has clear documentation that he was where he claims he was.

 

Here is what Corn claims BOR said:

 

"I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete."

 

I guess one could parse that and say he claimed he was on the Falkland Islands. BOR can just as easily claim he was talking about being in Argentina during the Falklands war.

 

I guess we need to see the documentation of what Corn claims BOR said before concluding he lied.

There was only one "war zone" in Argentina(actually off the coast of Argetina) and that was in the Falklands. Not only wasn't he there, he wasn't even there during the war, he was there after it was over. He lied, and it's been documented he's stated this multiple times. His document disproves his statement of being in a war zone.

 

And Corn's documentation is the transcripts, books or video of Bill saying multiple times that he was in a war zone:

 

 

 

 

In his 2001 book, The No Spin Zone: Confrontations With the Powerful and Famous in America, O'Reilly stated, "You know that I am not easily shocked. I've reported on the ground in active war zones from El Salvador to the Falklands."

 

Conservative journalist Tucker Carlson, in a 2003 book, described how O'Reilly answered a question during a Washington panel discussion about media coverage of the Afghanistan war: "Rather than simply answer the question, O'Reilly began by trying to establish his own bona fides as a war correspondent. 'I've covered wars, okay? I've been there. The Falklands, Northern Ireland, the Middle East. I've almost been killed three times, okay.'"

 

****granted this one may qualify as hearsay***

In a 2004 column about US soldiers fighting in Iraq, O'Reilly noted, "Having survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands war, I know that life-and-death decisions are made in a flash."

In 2008, he took a shot at journalist Bill Moyers, saying, "I missed Moyers in the war zones of [the] Falkland conflict in Argentina, the Middle East, and Northern Ireland. I looked for Bill, but I didn't see him.

 

[Sho Nuff 719]

Predictable defense by the hacks on this site.

[HenryHill9323 65]

There was only one "war zone" in Argentina(actually off the coast of Argetina) and that was in the Falklands. Not only wasn't he there, he wasn't even there during the war, he was there after it was over. He lied, and it's been documented he's stated this multiple times. His document disproves his statement of being in a war zone.

 

And Corn's documentation is the transcripts, books or video of Bill saying multiple times that he was in a war zone:

 

 

 

If BOR claimed to be in an active war zone in the Falklands and wasn't, then he lied.

 

Like I said, I have no dog in this fight.

[MDC 5,876]

If BOR claimed to be in an active war zone in the Falklands and wasn't, then he lied.

 

Like I said, I have no dog in this fight.

Sure you don't.

[HenryHill9323 65]

Sure you don't.

Feel free to explain how this impacts me.

[MDC 5,876]

Feel free to explain how this impacts me.

 

You tell me: You're the one defending a lying hack.

[HenryHill9323 65]

You tell me: You're the one defending a lying hack.

I didn't defend him. I commented on BORs defense, and the one quote by Corn we had at that point. I haven't been scouring the net looking for stuff on this like Honcho has, but when he brought more info I said he lied.

 

Once again, how does this impact me?