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Olbermann: Fox News 'Complicit' in Tiller Murder
Over the past four years, Fox News referred to Dr. George Tiller in the terms of a criminal using names like "Tiller the baby killer". With Tiller's death on Sunday, former religious right leader Frank Schaeffer took responsibility for his role in creating a climate that made his murder by a Christian conservative terrorist likely.
However, Bill O'Reilly, who used segments of his show to condemn Tiller and stoke public anger, refused to apologize for his role in similarly attacking Tiller. Keith Olbermann pointed out that words, especially words broadcast to millions of people, have consequences and Bill O'Reilly's actions merit a boycott of his show and network. Olbermann himself has called a moratorium on showing O'Reilly clips on Countdown.
--Gabriela Resto-Montero
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© 2009 MSNBC
11 Comments so far
Show AllRight on Keith! Fox must be made irrelevant.
"We must separate television from terrorism."
Nice frame. How about this: "Yeah, I saw it on the Fox Terrorism Network!"
How about writing the FCC.
yeah! keith is a giant in modern journalism. you get the sense that its not just a paycheck for he actually believes what
he says and doesn't parrot the corporate line. we need more keiths and no more bully o'liarlly's!
Fox Sports (and their corporate parent, News Corp.) must rue the day Keith Olbermann left their employ. In the time since he has no longer drawn a paycheck from them, he has become their bete noire...and the US media landscape is a better place for it.
Keep it up keith, I couldn't agree with you more!
Keep it up keith, I couldn't agree with you more!
I think if people boycotted TV "news" in general, but Fox and MSNBC specifically, the world would be a better place.
As usual, another good commetary by keith olbermann.
I just want to add to bill o'nothing's comments about the nazis, that hitler demanded more babies for his war machine and opposed women NOT having babies much less abortions, so bill 'cess pool mouth' you are supporting hitler's nazi agenda of 'no abortions' so's to increase the aryan population; bill o'reilly, nazi collaborator.
O'Reilly should be held to account.
Spewing hatred for years should merit extreme consequences.
That he incited Tiller's murder should mean prosecution- shouldn't it?
"Bill O'Reilly, who used segments of his show to condemn Tiller and stoke public anger"
Those are legitimate uses of free speech.
Free speech means protecting the speech of those you disagree with the most.
BO did not issue a death threat.
He is a morally repugnant man. But not a hypnotist.
I still believe in free will.
Let's say I call Cheney a murderer on TV. If he was killed by someone who was inspired by my words, would I be responsible for his murder?
On the other hand, some of the accusations lobbed by BO do seem like slander or libel.
I admit that the influence of mass media on those of questionable intelligence is extremely problematic. Television is designed to manipulate people. Controlling it's content for political reasons (i.e through the FCC) is a slippery slope like no other. Of course, quite obviously, corporations already control all content on TV (political or not), instead of the public.
I also like the method Olberman suggested for organizing a FOX boycott.