Bill O’Reilly dumped on Fox News yesterday, saying it is not the same news organization that it was just three years ago. They are under new management, of course, and because of that he argues they now want to be part of the establishment media instead of being mavericks like they used to be.
He explains below:
BOSTON HERALD – Fox News isn’t the place it used to be.
That’s what former Fox titan and best selling author Bill O’Reilly said yesterday on my Herald Radio show.
“Fox News is not what it was three years ago,” he said. “It’s different people running the operation.”
BillO weighs in the Acosta ordeal:
“The Acosta thing isn’t about freedom of the press, it’s about how you behave as a reporter. It was obvious to anyone that Jim Acosta was not trying to get information to the viewers of CNN he was trying to provoke confrontation,” said the former cable news king who left Fox News under a sexual harassment cloud.
“If CNN wants him to be a commentator give him a prime time show. They could use the ratings help,” he added. “But he’s a reporter and reporters are not supposed to bait the president of the United States and not supposed to insult him, which is what Acosta does.”
O’Reilly pointed out that the White House can suspend Acosta’s press access but they haven’t suspended CNN’s access thereby debunking the fallacy the administration is restricting free speech or freedom of the press when over 50 CNN reporters continue to have White House press credentials.
What the White House is saying by revoking Acosta’s press pass is that it “cannot conduct press conferences for the American people with someone who is going to disrupt the proceedings” stated O’Reilly.
“That’s the argument and the White House will win. CNN’s lawsuit is a PR stunt,” he added.
BillO went on to say in the interview that Acosta was there to demean the president and everyone knows it. He’s absolutely right about that. Acosta behaved like an ass to President Trump and thus the White House banned him. I believe, as BillO suggests, that ultimately the White House will win this fight.
He then notes that Fox News siding with CNN is why he believes they are done being mavericks:
As far as Fox is concerned, O’Reilly explained, “They want to get on the side of establishment media.” The days of being “mavericks” and “outsiders,” he said, are over.
“They don’t want to be attacked anymore by the New York Times, the Washington Post or by CNN, they want to be part of the club.”
I remember when Jon Stewart used to criticize Fox News almost every night. But the one thing he would point out from time to time is that Fox News knew exactly who they were and that’s why they were so successful, as opposed to CNN who is all over the place and whose ratings suffer accordingly.
Now I suppose that might change as Fox News begins pivoting more toward the establishment media in the coming years, especially if Trump fades out in the next election.