GE: Bill O'Reilly's Report "Maliciously False"

NEW YORK — The General Electric Co. called a Fox News Channel report about the company supplying terrorists with material used in bombs "irresponsible and maliciously false" on Wednesday as a feud between Fox's Bill O'Reilly and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann kept sizzling.

It was the first time that GE, the parent company of MSNBC and NBC News, had publicly responded to accusations made by O'Reilly on his Fox show.

Olbermann also kept up his attacks, naming O'Reilly his "worst person in the world" on Wednesday's show for the GE story. The two men have taken their feud to a new level since The New York Times reported Aug. 1 that the chief executives of both parent corporations of the cable news channels – News Corp. as well as GE – had encouraged them to cool things down.

O'Reilly said on Tuesday that his show's sources say there is a federal investigation into whether American companies supplied components being used in roadside bombs aimed at American soldiers. He said that radio frequency modules inside some bombs were part of a shipment made by a U.S. company to Corezing International, a Singapore company that does business with Iran.

O'Reilly said that his show "has been told but cannot confirm that the General Electric corporation is under suspicion in the case."

GE spokesman Gary Sheffer said he was surprised by the report, given O'Reilly's admission that he could not confirm GE's involvement.

He said GE does not do business with Corezing or produce the radio frequency modules described in the report.

"We usually do not respond to the misleading and inaccurate claims made on this program because very few people take them seriously," Sheffer said, "but tonight's report took this smear campaign to a new low."

A Fox News spokeswoman, Irena Briganti, had no immediate comment about GE's statement. FBI spokesman Steve Kodak said the bureau does not comment about any investigations it may be doing.

Sheffer said he believed O'Reilly's report was tied to the MSNBC feud.

Briganti did not comment on GE's assertion that O'Reilly's story was done because of the feud. Fox issued a statement last week about GE and NBC: "Both organizations are covered as news warrants."

O'Reilly only briefly touched on the GE story during his show Wednesday, saying in response to a reader's e-mail that "we're not making any accusations, but we're staying on the story."

Olbermann has named O'Reilly one of his "worst persons of the world" four times in the eight shows he's done since report of the supposed truce. He condemned O'Reilly on Monday for spending too much time talking about O'Reilly's own ratings.

"As a reporter, I wouldn't send Bill O'Reilly to cover a john overflowing," Olbermann said.

Comments

[68-lukeburlington]

Fox News is for LIBERAL WIMPS!!!

Wolf news is for real republicans!

Read the press release at http://www.suburbanempire.com/content/wolf-news-fresh-new-home-right

Suburban empire, biting opinion, scathing public shaming of industry and government, served up fresh daily!

[eshaneua]

Yet another example of coonery, buffoonery, and looney tunery at its best. ONLY A COSMIC FOOL would dare report a false story about the largest company in the world.

[retromega]

I would hope tha GE's legal staff is astute enough to hit this on out of the ball park! On the face of it, it smacks of stock manipulation coupled with insider trading. Are their any corporate moves going on at GE that Bill O'Really has an interest in. I'm sure that a temporary Injunction can be sought while the axact details are investigated. Keep in mind GE that o'Really is a hired gun! It could be any number of stock manipulators he is working for here. I wouldn't put it pas O'Really to be working a deal for Madoff.

There is also the obvious setting of the FCC, not only its fine authority but also its mission to protect the citizenry from this raw obsenity! This could easily lead to interesting problems of foreign ownership, trading in secrets, and the obvious but harder to prove treason and the very easy to prove terrorism that Bill and his cell are indulging in.


Go to it!

[morp]

where does he get his sources? the weekly world news?

[tantrictim]

hmm...an unconfirmed story of an unsubstantiated allegation from anonymous sources, sounds like a play out of the murdoch journalism handbook, billo should work for the national enquirer, 'cause inquiring minds wanna know

[BabblingBrooks]

Seems as though O'Reilly reported it fairly as "not confirmed.­"

[xstevejx]

So it's OK for anyone on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc. to randomly just say, "It's not comfirmed, but I heard ________ is giving prescription painkillers to 5-year-olds on the street." anytime they feel like? Yeah, I can see how YOU might think that's "fair."

[brahdog]

i guess that makes it "fair and balanced"

[kareemachan]

So with your "logic", he should next report that a giant meteor is headed straight at the earth - oh but it's not confirmed. Or that some fast food corporation is using dead people in their hamburgers - oh but it's not confirmed. Epic fail. There's a little thing called responsibility in reporting news, which is something BOR just doesn't seem to get.....

[leftbrnrightbrn]

There will be no lawsuit. O'Reilly and Fox News have the top lawyers available, and you can bet this story was fully checked before it was presented. O'Reilly has been saying for a long time that the simple fact that GE makes certain investments has made them an indirect funder of Middle Eastern enemies of America. He has shown his facts about that many times. He's being more specific now, and there certainly a way he's covered himself with his allegations.

Also, O'Reilly may be right, there may be an investigation that GE and Olbermann don't know about. Olbermann would have to present facts that O'Reilly does not. Notice I'm not choosing sides.

[xstevejx]

No, I didn't notice, since your post seems to be totally backing O'Reilly's side.

[kareemachan]

Yup. And if these supposed vetting lawyers were so good, why do so many mistakes make it out of his mouth? The Malmedy comment, the things he said about Bill Moyer, the number of homeless vets in the US, things he said about ACLU - I could go on and on here. He gets things wrong, makes stuff up, and lies.

[Oonagh]

OReilly needs to do a little research for a change to get his facts right. The only fair and balanced he knows is his version of fair and balanced..­. and he is way off balance.

[kdlaiusa]

You think Billo does the research himself? No. His show has directors, producers, writers, etc. He approves the segments and stories to be aired.

[RobinSeattle]

"Maliciously false" is lawyerspeak for "we're going to sue you and own everything you now do when it is all over."

This should be fun to watch.

[Harvee Wallbanger]

GE certainly has the resources. I doubt Bill-O will live to the end of the litigation, however. He is older than dirt.

[BabblingBrooks]

I think it is empty threat. If GE sued, it would open itself up to investigation and have to testify under oath!

[RobinSeattle]

But any requests for GE files would have to be relevant to the matter at hand. They can't ask to just to go willy nilly through GE's archives looking for damaging material. So you're wrong.

[AlanCombes]

If they could sue their lawyer would be doing the talking now. They would not post a meaningless 3 paragraph memo. You and the majority of posters here can keep dreaming.

[Oonagh]

GE will ignore him... he is not worth tangling with... he is just a wingnut.

[DeeW]

i don't really understand how a person can go on tv and just say stuff, aren't there liable laws or something?

[pbcrunch]

The standard used to hold journalists and the press at large civilly liable for libel/defamation against public entities -- such as large corporations, politicians, states, etc. -- is extremely tough to meet.

The First Amendment provides huge protections. I don't remember the exact wording of the protection provided from my law school Constitutional Law class, but I believe the press report must be demonstrably false AND must have been publicized with a maliciously reckless disregard for the truth. Unreasonableness is not enough; simple lazy negligence is not enough; if there's any halfway reasonable excuse why the sued party believed the report to be true, that's enough. An extremely high standard.

[Denemator]

Still think that he can be sued for libel and defamation.

[RobinSeattle]

Except for the fact that Fox has a pattern and practice of long standing of malicious content aimed at GE/NBC. And if they knew that what O'Reilly reported was demonstrably false, as it seems to be, that makes for a viable slander case against Fox.

[BabblingBrooks]

First, grasshopper, you have to show something was false! Just claiming it was false doesn't cut it--except on HuffPost.

[Tommi2]

The words "Factor Investigation" is always followed by falsehood and a good eye-roll.

O'Reilly is the antithesis of honesty and the "mothers milk" of the ignorant.

He has outright stolen the caricature of buffoonery and bully that Morton Downey Jr. created years ago.

[ladyrefined2000]

isnt o'reilly just really old now?......­.....i mean, shouldnt he just go away?

[BabblingBrooks]

You forgot to add--"I hope, I hope, I wish..."

[harriettubman]

This kind of reporting is the very reason why we celebrate Walter Cronkite. How can O'Reilly report that they heard but can't confirm a story? That's nothing but gossip, not news. Heaven help journalism today.

[DawnK]

Can't GE sue Fox and News Corp over this? I know its hard to prove libel or defamation but I'm sure O'reilly can and intended to do harm to the reputation of GE.

[TrooAmerican]

I think you're right, this came after a much publicized series of intentional attacks on GE by Bill-o as blatant response to KO catching Bill-o lying and being hypocritical.

[BabblingBrooks]

Strange, but every time a liberal disagrees with something, he claims his opponent was lying! It is despicable, isn't it?

[Tyberius]

If you're a 'completely free market thinker', wouldn't you have no problem with anyone selling anything to a terrorist, to make a profit? Isn't Bill O, a 'don't let the govt tell me who I can sell to, and who I can't" and a pro unrestricted free market advocate? Why would he advocate that the govt tell a private company who they can do business with? Isn't that inconsistent with his ideology?

[alumcreek]

O'Reilly said that his show "has been told but cannot confirm that the General Electric corporation is under suspicion in the case."

I've been told but cannot confirm that Murdoch has reserved a 120 month stay at an insane asylum in Bill O'Reilly's name. The padded suite next door is being held for Sean Hannity.

[hrholmes]

"As a reporter, I wouldn't send Bill O'Reilly to cover a john overflowing," Olbermann said. Except of course if Larry Craig was the current occupant of said 'john'.