Les Jones: NPR and O'Reilly

October 23, 2003

Media Behaving Badly > NPR and O'Reilly

Arch liberal Terry Gross of NPR's Fresh Air interviews arch conservative Bill O'Reilly of Fox News's O'Reilly Factor. O'Reilly walks out of the interview. NPR's Ombudsman takes O'Reilly's side, criticizing Gross for a hostile atmosphere and an empty chair interview after O'Reilly walked out. Jay Rosen says O'Reilly won.

Bonus! NPR's Blooper Reel. Geez, Garrison, do you eat Powdermilk biscuits with that filthy mouth?

Double Live Platinum Bonus! Read Terry Gross's interview with Gene Simmons of KISS.

Gross: I'd like to think the personality you presented on our show today is a persona that you've affected as a member of KISS, but that you're not nearly as obnoxious when you're at home or with friends.

Simmons: Fair enough, and I'd like to think that the boring lady who's talking to me now is a lot sexier and more interesting than the one's who's doing NPR, studious and reserved.

Posted by lesjones

Comments

Gross was very hostile from the get-go, no doubt. Normally (as is the case with Al Franken), this is entertaining, because Franken is witty and incisive, and O'Reilly is a hypocritical egomaniac. Gross is just a tad too boring to really cut into him. I had to stop listening after a while. My summary:

O'Reilly: I'm #1!! I'm #1!!
Gross: Pompous ass! Hypocrite!!
O'Reilly: I'm #1!! I'm #1!!
Gross: Pompous ass! Hypocrite!!
etc.

I expect more from NPR. Gross should stick to what she does best: inoffensive, boring interviews.

Posted by: Chris Wage at October 23, 2003

Can't disagree with Chris Wage re: Bill O'Reilly, but Al Franken "incisive"? Puh-leeze!

Posted by: timks at October 24, 2003

Terry Gross really didn't seem prepared. She hadn't read the book for one. Lots of interviewers don't, but I expect better of her. Since she hadn't read the book, she couldn't discuss it, which may explain why she spent all of her time reciting what other people (Franken, *People*) had said about O'Reilly. Since when does Terry Gross use People magazine for background research?

Then she makes a mistake with one of her first statements, saying that O'Reilly had sued Franken when it was Fox News who had sued Franken.

Posted by: Les Jones at October 25, 2003

Gotta disagree with the ombudsman. I heard the last bit on the radio and then was interested enough to listen to the whole thing on NPR's website. To me, O'Reilly was his usual insufferable, dishonest self, and I probably would have smacked him around the third condescending "Terrr-rrrry". I thought she maintained great control of herself in the face of a man whose pithy rejoinder rarely rises above "Shut up." I predict that O'Reilly will probably self-destruct soon, a la Rush and Bill Bennett, and that Gross will continue winning awards and even that she will know the correct names of those awards.

Posted by: Janet Ann at October 25, 2003