Bill O'Reilly Needs to Enroll in "Understanding the Internet 101"
As I arrived at the ballroom of the Omni Shorehem hotel in Washington yesterday to give a speech at the Take Back America conference, I was approached by one of Bill O'Reilly's video crews, looking to do an ambush interview about objectionable anonymous comments that appeared on our site (comments that we unequivocally repudiate and take down as soon as we become aware of them; more on this in a moment).
O'Reilly has been banging this tired drum -- calling me no different from Nazis and the KKK -- for weeks now and is giddily promoting yesterday's exchange on his website as "An Explosive Showdown. We confront the Huffington Post over Tony Snow comments." (It will apparently air tonight).
My first response to the Fox hit squad was that they needed a lesson on the rudiments of how the Internet works, especially when it comes to comments.
HuffPost gets around 500,000 comments a month. These comments are anonymous and in no way represent my opinions, or the opinions of HuffPost or our bloggers. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to abusive or hateful language or comments -- such comments are taken down as quickly as they come to the attention of our moderators.
And we are constantly working to develop new technologies -- and backing them up with more and more 24/7 moderators -- which will allow us to more effectively filter out objectionable comments. But no system is perfect and offensive comments occasionally slip through -- on our site and any place else on the Internet that encourages a free and open exchange of ideas. Including the Fox News site.
Indeed, Crooks and Liars' John Amato has gathered a collection of hateful comments that can still be found on foxnews.com. And Keith Olbermann has pointed out comments posted on Bill O'Reilly's own site that, among other things, threaten the life of Hillary Clinton.
Let me be as clear as possible. We find the kind of toxic comments O'Reilly is pointing out utterly repugnant and take them down. Period. But we refuse to let the vile actions of a miniscule number of anonymous, trouble-making trolls force us to shut down our comments section -- as many sites, including many conservatives sites, have done. We are committed to striking a balance between freedom of expression and freedom from a noxious atmosphere that ultimately discourages expression.
Finally, I find it laughable to be lectured on hate speech by Bill O'Reilly, who has done as much if not more than anyone else in the media to debase the public dialogue. He spews hate as readily as he breathes. It's his lifeblood.
In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if O'Reilly had one of his staffers put these offensive comments up on HuffPost, just so he could have something to rail against.
Related: Why I Am Grateful that Rush Limbaugh Attacked Me Today
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I used to watch Bill O, but now I cannot be in the same room when he comes on the television. It is very hypocritical of a man who would constantly label his political opponents as "pinheads", insults them, and shut off their microphones (when they are foolish enough to go his program) to label HuPo as a "hate" site. It was typical of his program not to inform his audience that "Town Hall.com" is a Republican oriented web site. And why is he is picking on Adrianna for earning money from the web site when he sells all sorts of gee-gaws and clothing promoting "The Factor" and hypes heavily his books when they are published?
I think the web editors at HuPo should remove these nasty and vicious comments similar to the cretinous attacks on Nancy Reagan and Tony Snow as soon as possible. By failing to monitor its contents more carefully, HuPo just provide fodder for sleazy Faux News commentators to distract the attention of the American couch potatoes from more pressing issues which might make them think more clearly about whether Bill O is truly "looking out for them."
One other point, I think the campaign by the Left to monitor and muzzle speech they find offensive is now being exploited by the Right in this country to muzzle the free speech of the Liberals and the Left. It is a great way to signal that certain speech is unacceptable. On the HuPo exists many interesting opinions and news items that Bill O and his masters would not want the American serfs to be aware of. So they label HuPo as "hate speech"!
I 100% agree that an O'Reilly pawn or some other right wing troll may have posted hateful comments on Huff. It's right up there with changing from Repug. to Democrat just to vote for Hillary in the primary, then McCain in November.
And I agree that O'Reilly spews venom on his radio and TV show every day. Fair and balanced right?
Let's see .if this gets posted. I was blogging on Huffpost while watching Bill say that about Huffpost. I had noticed how nasty the remarks had been & had mentioned it online several times. I even stated that I wanted to like Qbama, but his supporters were so mean, it turned me off. As I was writing I added that I was watch tv at the same time & what I'd just heard.
As far as I know, that blog never got posted. I waited, came back & waited again, but I never saw it. I also noted that since then, I've have'nt seen so much hatred, and in fact I've seen some great posts, with great points. Some I agreed with & some I did'nt.
So maybe old Bill did us a favor by pointing out how nasty people were getting with each other. I had thought this to be an unbiased, intelligent blog in the beginning. Now I see it's an Obama blog. I keep going to other sites to try to find people who only discuss the facts & the issues, but most are about emotions.
I want my candidate to be in balance mentally, physically, materially, emotionally & spiritually, as I myself try to be. But, I can not tell you how many times I asked people to just talk about the points & not spew hate. So if you think this blog was never hateful, you are wrong. I was about to stop coming here until I hear O'Relliy say that ,while I was thinking the same thing at the same time. So, I'm back, & frankly the rhetoric has toned down. So maybe there was a silver lining in that cloud.
Arianna:
I am a little confused as to the level of energy spent on Bill O'Reilly. Didn't we all agree at some point to just ignore him, as we must ignore flies at a picnic.
The guy is a "one trick pony" that because of his limited skills as a broadcaster, has bullied his way into a position of interest. Old brother Bill has become the poison ivy in the woods. If you avoid him he cannot effect you, however if you have contact, you are doomed to a period of discomfort. I am an engineer "not a Mensa Member". I do however understand how to treat the bosses "red headed stepchild" Quiet resolve to ignore at all cost.
Sundog
Just a reminder, Ariana. I saw the videoclip of the "ambush".....you need to remember what Olberman's
advice is to people who get ambushed by an O'Reilly chimp.....just ask them the embarassing questions about O'Reilly himself that Keith has come up with. In other words, never attempt to "explain" or "defend"
yourself, just counter-attack......and I guarantee BillO will never show it on The Factor (not when words such as "Andrea", "telephone", "falafel", "Fox News goons", "Al Franken" are in it.....
I agree with this. I think that everyone should carry a copy of the complaint against him for sexual harrassment with them and when the ambush takes place, pull it out and read it. Many people don't know about this complaint.
Bill O'reilly is obsessed. He has a low tolerance for people who have an opinion different from his. One day, someone will really embarrass him the way that he has tried to do others. Why is it that everyone can see that he has a problem, but him?
Unfortunately Bill O'Reilly makes his living as a TV shock jock. I am sure that as long as there is a $ in it, he will not entertain the thought of presenting a legitimate news presentation or commentary. He is as incideous and has about the same vaule to our society as Ann Coulter. Hopefully, with the desperation in middle America, we will start seeing a more responsible approach by the networks in providing our daily news. At some point, we're bound to wisen up - right?
"As long as there is a $ in it" are the defining words in your comment. O'Reilly and his ilk have become so offensive but we continue to let them spew their vomitous rhetoric at us ad nauseum. What's wrong with us? We need to put a stop to all of it. Just stop watching them and get your news from HP if you are interested in reality.
[[Finally, I find it laughable to be lectured on hate speech by Bill O'Reilly, who has done as much if not more than anyone else in the media to debase the public dialogue. He spews hate as readily as he breathes. It's his lifeblood.]]
This is what's called "projection," and the radical right are experts at it. While they're in the midst of doing something despicable, they accuse the victim of doing the same thing. I've noticed the white racists are now calling Obama a racist for sitting through the Rev. Wright's "God d*** America" tirade, even though it's known that Obama was not present for that sermon. Well, say the racists, maybe he wasn't at that particular sermon but he must have been at others we don't know about where Wright cussed out America, so therefore Obama is a racist.
And nothing that has come out about what Wright has said could even be considered racist, such as white people are mentally inferior or born evil, etc. Wright is an angry black man, no doubt justifiably so, who let his anger get out of control sometimes. His outbursts seem more the exception than the rule and there's no indication that Obama was present for his most extreme statements. But that's not the story the media wants to go with. Not just Fox News, either; I've heard CNN pundits like Bay Buchanan claim that Obama sat through "God d***" tirades and another allowed how Obama was lying when he said he had never heard anything that extreme from Wright.
Obama gave two important speeches last week, one on Iraq and one on the economy, but the cable news networks barely mentioned them. It's going to be race, race, race, all the time until they've brought down Obama, I'm afraid.
But only if they do in fact bring him down.
IMHO Senator Obama's success or failure is really up to what We The People do in the coming weeks and months, not the pundits of the corporate press.
Leland R. Erickson
Citizen
Once upon a time I use to watch Bill O'Reilly on Fox news and yes, I did enjoy his show but as time went by I could see that Bill had taken some backwards steps. Bill O'Reilly is no longer fair and balanced and it is no longer the no spin zone as he states it is. What happened to you Bill? Why are you on a continuous downward spin? Where do you have room to talk? Bill, remember the saying, those that live in glass houses could not throw stones?
Arianna, you handled Bill O'Reilly's comment just fine and I would suggest that Fox News give a moderator position to Bill as The Factor is sure losing a lot of viewers. Bill has been going down hill for a very long time now and I suggest Fox News Headquarters do something with him. His Factor is a total spin zone meaning Bill spins it all his way and expresses his views only regardless of facts brought before him. Bill you have tunnel vision and as far as fair and balanced goes, it's only fair and balanced in your views. I guess Bill you must think your views are the only views that are fair and balanced. I have written a few times to you Bill and Fox News Headquarters in telling of my disgust in you and your program. Come on Bill, remember the time you stated that John Edwards owes you an apology regarding the subject of our homeless vets? Again you were so wrong Bill, you were the one who owed John Edwards an apology. Our veterans Bill have fought for our country and you and me an all Americans and our veterans must be helped. You did change your mind a day or two latter and then wanted to help our veterans and you said NOW so you see Bill mistakes happen and opinions change. All I can say is Fox News Headquarters must have gotten tons of mail on your segment about our veterans because your opinion sure changed abruptly. Perhaps the name of your show should be changed to Bill's Views And Opinions because that's what your doing Bill, you do not listen except to yourself and you have to be always right.
I read many comments on the Huffington Post and I do not see hate from top to bottom so I don't know where you are seeing this on the Huffington Post Bill. I also have written on the Huffington Post and if you read my comments you will see they are not full of hate but they do address the issue and my feelings and that is what commenting is about. There is no person in the world that can control every individual in what they write as you can see Bill from the comments left on Fox News and you are going to get some wild comments out there at any given time. There will be some that will be full of hate anywhere on the Internet for that matter and all must be monitored. I have one little problem in writing on the Huffington Post and that is that it takes so long before my post is approved so you see Bill, Arianna is not promoting hate but what she is doing is monitoring it the best she can and as you can see on the comments left on your own site that some will slip through. Again, the moral of the story is: Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Marline Downs
Sumter, SC
I too use to watch Bill back in 2002-2003 when my local cable company first got Fox News. He seemed more fair and balanced then, particularly his reservations about going to war in Iraq--which I opposed from the beginning of the drum beating in August because I knew they were not tied to the Twin Towers and that it woulkd be a cluster if we went in and that we would become mired just as we were in Viet Nam. And I remember Bill saying that for the moment he would support the President on the decision to go in but that if WMD were not found he would oppose the incursion and would speak out loudly about it being a mistake. When it became evident that there were no WMD's--just as I had told people--and he didnot change his position and continued to be a strong avocate for the war, that's when he showed his true colors to me. Now, every once in a while I'll tune him in for a couple minutes just to get my blood pressure up and that's about all I can take of him.
Don't forget that Bill professes to be this wonderful Christ like individual. Whoo! Have you seen the sexual harrassment complaint against him? It is disgusting and it exposes his hypocrisy. I am completely turned off by hypocrits. Some of the stuff that this complaint alleges is just pathetic. If these things are true, and of course, I think that a settlement was made, so we will never get the real details of what really happened. In this day and time, people are completely turned off by hypocrisy. From time to time, I switch back to Fox just to see what they are talking about and then I immediately turn the channel, because it is the same kind of ugly stuff that is repeated on the show all day long and into the night. I just think that when the viewing audience dwindles, maybe the show will understand that people just do not like listening to that garbage.
Eric Hoffer once wrote that "passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life". I can't think of a better description of O'Reilly and those who parrot him.
What I just have to love about "discussion" in America today, is everyone twists language to suit their own MO's. In my small town newspaper there are a few individuals who write comments that to me, are clearly racist, homophobic, zenophobic and anti-the rest of the world. These individuals cloak their sentiments under that wonderful guise of "patriotism". So does O'Reilly and his ilk. No other country in the world can get away with this, because this country calls them on it - ironic isn' t it?????
" Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost." ( T.Jefferson)
" Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. No nation could preserve it's freedom in the midst of continual warfare." (James Madison 1795)
O'Reilly is one of those arrogant, know-it-all commentators, who everytime he opens his mouth he brays like a donkey. He is infested with the germ of arrogance.
Arianna, be of good cheer and consider the source. On any given day Mr. O'Reilly is the frontrunner for "The Worst Hypocrite in the World."
Just wondering, do you watch his show or are you just trying to be popualr on this site?
"... it wouldn't surprise me if O'Reilly had one of his staffers put these offensive comments up on HuffPost"
I eagerly agree with your suspicion Arianna.
This sort of 'hired trolling' is prevalent in many other progressive forums as well.
I think that neo-con groups caught on long ago that rude and offensive insertions are an effective way to derail meaningful dialog.
Ariana, I would like to say your monitoring policies have gotten better, and so have I as a poster, so to speak. It has made me think more intellectually and less emotionally. You are doing a great job and your web site has become the place to go in our household.
It's become a habit here too. Too bad I have to pay Time-Warner for the same cable that feeds the household all the stuff that isn't wanted. There was an effort a while back to make cable channels individually optional. What we have now are bundles. I wish I didn't even give a nickel in royalties to many channels I block out. Since cable is a govt. controlled territorial matter, I think it would be reasonable for customers to have the option of opting out. It might take some of the wind out of the sails of types like Rupert. I'm sure it's technically and economically feasible. Just need Obama and some folks like him in the senate and congress.
Puzzling - A.H. says "My first response to the Fox hit squad was that they needed a lesson on the rudiments of how the Internet works, especially when it comes to comments.
HuffPost gets around 500,000 comments a month. These comments are anonymous and in no way represent my opinions, or the opinions of HuffPost or our bloggers. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to abusive or hateful language or comments -- such comments are taken down as quickly as they come to the attention of our moderators."
How can this be? Whenever I post a comment a little note that says it has to be approved before available for general viewing. How are posts geting posted without being moderated so that they are taken down when they come to the attention of the moderator?
Are there bloggers on your post that have comments posted without being moderated first?
Are the moderators allowing the "abusive and hateful posts" through so that when rediscovered they can be taken down?
Are the moderators posting the "abusive and hateful posts"?
Will I be the only one to see this post?
Jack
The mere thought that O'Reilly, the arch-hate monger of the U.S.A. should accuse anyone of being hateful fills me with disgust and laughter at the same time. He, like the long line of idiots who are idolized by the red-neck group of Americans which includes millions of non-thinking couch potatoes who lack the gray matter to put two sentences together, spews his hatred daily at the Propaganda Ministry, Fox News. Starting with Rush Limbaugh, Brit Hume, and the whole crew at Fox, that is where you find the true KKK's. In the false guise of patriotism, they put down everyone who suggests a change in the way things are done in our country that might shake up their stinking monopoly on hate journalism. They are so transparent that one doesn't even have to read their comments to know what they think about everything. Just mention the word liberal to them and they are off and running (at the mouth). They are proof that politically and religiously we Americans are still in the Middle Ages. Fox would take us back to the age of the cavemen. What fools we mortals be!
You are a microcephalic emotional wreck of a bomb-thrower. My apologies for the name calling, but these incendiary remarks are just to get your attention...I could care less how you spend your free time.
In an earlier post you called Rush Limbaugh's listeners brainless, and in this tiny entry your appellativeness has helped you reach new highs with 12 ad hominem attacks. Time for some introspection? I think that is a good idea. My grandfather used to say, "the worse you look, the better I look"...an illustrative phrase to demonstrate an extremely rudimentary human behavior, defending ego. I guess if you label the whole rest of the world "idiots", that makes you as the voice of reason.
The best defense is a good offense; believe me, your thoughts and speech make you extremely offensive.
My, my, Richarini must have really hit a nerve there. What have you seen that nobody else has seen in his posts? You disdain his ad hominem attacks and yet you engage in one. Could it be possible that some ad hominem attacks are deserve and others aren't? So maybe Richardini's attacks were just as deserved as you think yours are! I find you offensive but so what? I can only surmise based on the vehemence of your attack that you are a limpball fan, nes pas?
synapsecatalyst, You have time to look at bloggers past posts and get upset about them? My, my, too much time on your hands. So much anger and you search for things to offend you as if you had an additiction. Turn off the media and go outside and enjoy nature before you burst.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
