O'Reilly

I think it's time for basically everyone to boycott O'Reilly's show. His "turn off the guest's microphone" schtick is well-established by now, so why would anyone actually want to go on that show?

An Open Letter to Bill O'Reilly

(excerpts) March 17, 2003
March 17, 2003
Dear Bill:

I am writing about my appearance on your show last Friday. As you know, After five or ten minutes of heated debate, during which I gave as good as I got, you cut off my microphone and spent the next five minutes attacking me and my family. What I was amazed to learn was that YOU CUT OFF MY MICROPHONE WITHOUT INFORMING ME OR YOUR LISTENING AUDIENCE THAT YOU HAD DONE SO.

A few folks in my office tuned into your show when it ran on WOR in New York later that afternoon. We learned that after your cut me off you made an outrageous allegation to the effect that "guys i like Bill Hartung" would probably let a situation arise where their iown kidswere poisoned with anthrax and just sit back and hope for "the French" to deal with the situation.

In lieu of an apology, I propose the following: a one hour debate, Bill O'Reilly vs. Bill Hartung, in a neutral
format. The topic: how best to defend the United States of America in an age of terrorism.

If my idea for a debate doesn't appeal to you, how about this: have me on for ten minutes a week for ten weeks. The segments will be timed, and everyone will know exactly when I go off the air (no funny business with the microphone). At the end of the ten weeks, we do a survey of your listeners (a professional survey, not a self-selecting internet poll). If a majority of your listeners think I have something worthwhile to say, you have me on for another ten weeks. If they say "we're sick of hearing from that guy," you pull the plug.

Is it going to be the "no spin zone," or the "no integrity zone," Bill? I await your response.

Yours truly,
Bill Hartung
hartung@newschool.edu