When
does ones journalist integrity questioned?
Bill O Reilly is a journalist who is one of the
highest paid in the business and is probably one of the most hated as well. With
his job once you do anything it is magnified because of the platform he is on. He
was clearly caught lying but nothing was done and I could go back and give you an example of another
news anchor that was caught lying as well. His name was Brian Williams, he was
accused of lying about seeing a dead body and Bill O’ Reilly was accused of
seeing a fire fight and also said he witnessed nuns being shot. These two men
were later caught in a lie where one was off the air and the other is still on.
I look and ask myself if the integrity of both of these guys are worth watching
because they will both lie to make themselves look better in the public eye. I don’t
personally watch Fox but to me a lie is a lie. So why would you tell such a lie
when you know you’re only going to be caught. I don’t think the crime fits the punishment
for either person but I can only ask someone in journalism if you feel this is
right and even if you’re not in the field what should have been done?
By Vincent Marshall
“Bill
O’Reilly Says Fox News Isn’t Conservative After He Is Accused Of
Lying.”
(2015, March 21). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from
http://www.inquisitr.com/1943053/bill-oreilly-says-fox-news-isnt-conservative-after-he-is-accused-of-lying/
Vincent,
ReplyDeleteWhile I am aware of the Brian Williams situation, I had to research the Bill O'Reilly issues you addressed. After familiarizing myself, I am puzzled as to how O'Reilly still has a job. In a Washington Post article, it was said “O’Reilly and his boss, Fox News chief Roger Ailes, are not worried about damage to Bill O’Reilly’s credibility, or about his viewers deserting him” (P. Waldman, 2015, para. 12). The reason Williams was taken off the air was because NBC feared his credibility was shot with their audience. It baffles me that Fox doesn’t feel the same about O’Reilly’s credibility. As soon as word gets out that a reporter has been fabricating stories or telling flat-out lies, there’s no turning back. Just as many won’t trust Britt McHenry anymore, they also won’t trust of follow O’Reilly (or Williams). I would've suspended O'Reilly for the time being without pay. Then reassess ratings in a few months and go from there.
References:
Waldman, P. “The Bill O’Reilly scandal, made simple.” (2015, Feb. 24). Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/02/24/the-bill-oreilly-scandal-made-simple/