Discussion: Media, The Press, Journalism, Cable News, Media Bias, and Other Media Issues

[Matt]

Fox already has a replacement lined up for Hannity in the form of Tucker Carlson, so he's expendable.

He's really not though. O'Reilly spoke to a wider audience. Moderate conservatives view Carlson (and Hannity for that matter) as partisan shills who will say that the sky is red if the Republican Party is claiming such. O'Reilly appealed to a large audience because he was willing to go against party lines in the name of "conservatism" and "fair and balanced" coverage. No one buys that from the likes of Carlson or Hannity. Losing O'Reilly is actually a huge blow to Fox News and will reduce their audience share considerably. Not to mention, the man has been the face of their network for the past 20 years, since its 1996 launch. Its like Disney suddenly losing the rights to Mickey Mouse.

 

[Lily Adler]

I was talking about Hannity.

 

[terry78]

They all look alike.

 

[Matt]

I was talking about Hannity.

Ah, I see. I misread and thought you were referring to the fact that Bill O'Reilly has been replaced with Tucker Carlson. My mistake.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

He's really not though. O'Reilly spoke to a wider audience. Moderate conservatives view Carlson (and Hannity for that matter) as partisan shills who will say that the sky is red if the Republican Party is claiming such. O'Reilly appealed to a large audience because he was willing to go against party lines in the name of "conservatism" and "fair and balanced" coverage. No one buys that from the likes of Carlson or Hannity. Losing O'Reilly is actually a huge blow to Fox News and will reduce their audience share considerably. Not to mention, the man has been the face of their network for the past 20 years, since its 1996 launch. Its like Disney suddenly losing the rights to Mickey Mouse.

I mean if Mickey Mouse was an abhorrent racist human being, who was clearly a partisan shill, who lied all the time and like to beat and sexually assault women.

 

[Matt]

I mean if Mickey Mouse was an abhorrent racist human being. who was clearly a partisan shill, who lied all the time and like to beat and sexually assault women.

Well, yeah. i just mean to illustrate that O'Reilly is the face of the network and losing him represents a considerable shift for the network.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Well, yeah. i just mean to illustrate that O'Reilly is the face of the network and losing him represents a considerable shift for the network.

I know Matt. Its a very good point. I just really don't like this trash.

 

[Jason Kane]

I wonder when Trump will weigh in on this.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/854676780527079425 Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 6h
Ridickulus that Bill Oreilly got the boot at Fox News! Guess they want to be FAKE NEWS now!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 5h
Bill is a person I know very well. He's a GOOD person. He didn't do anything wrong. I grope women all the time and I've never lost a job! VERY UNFAIR!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 4h
And besides, all he did was make some phone calls and make some advances. Next time, TAKE IT ALL THE WAY, BILL!

Why is there no cancer of the fingers for thar orange menace??

 

[Sawyer]

I wonder when Trump will weigh in on this.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/854676780527079425 Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 6h
Ridickulus that Bill Oreilly got the boot at Fox News! Guess they want to be FAKE NEWS now!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 5h
Bill is a person I know very well. He's a GOOD person. He didn't do anything wrong. I grope women all the time and I've never lost a job! VERY UNFAIR!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 4h
And besides, all he did was make some phone calls and make some advances. Next time, TAKE IT ALL THE WAY, BILL!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 3h
Bill once asked me if I'd loan him Melania for a weekend. Wasn't offended! Wanting to bang your buddy's wife is the highest compliment!

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump 2h
He asked me the same thing about Ivanka but I shut that s*** down real quick. Sad!

 

[sycamore]

O'Reilly might just kill himself after this firing. Huge disgrace.

 

[Sithborg]

Please. I'm sure he has a very, very nice golden umbrella. Also, his ratings weren't the issue. So, I'm sure he will at the very least continue to be a best selling author.

 

[Matt]

Please. I'm sure he has a very, very nice golden umbrella. Also, his ratings weren't the issue. So, I'm sure he will at the very least continue to be a best selling author.

Yeah, he'll be back on television within the year, probably back on Fox. So long as he keeps his head down and lets the heat die, he will be brought back.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

How do you bring him back to the place that fired him because of his allegations?

 

[Matt]

How do you bring him back to the place that fired him because of his allegations?

Very easily. They are firing him because the allegations have led to advertisers pulling out. In a year's time, provided he plays his cards right, advertisers won't care anymore. Advertisers are reactive to what the public thinks but the public has a very short attention span. Within 2 weeks no one will care about O'Reilly, within 2 years, no one will even remember much less care. At that point, advertisers will buy space so long as his ratings are good. Thus, Fox will bring him back.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Very easily. They are firing him because the allegations have led to advertisers pulling out. In a year's time, provided he plays his cards right, advertisers won't care anymore. Advertisers are reactive to what the public thinks but the public has a very short attention span. Within 2 weeks no one will care about O'Reilly, within 2 years, no one will even remember much less care. At that point, advertisers will buy space so long as his ratings are good. Thus, Fox will bring him back.

Advertisers would care because the same reaction will be made. It will be worse because they have basically admitted they got rid of him for the same reasons they got rid of Ailes, so bringing him back shows they don't care. Which I know they don't, but that is why they have given the whole, "new internal investigation" idea. A new report that has lead to this. He also has a fresh allegation on his resume.

O'Reilly's notoriety is his biggest problem here.

 

[Marvolo]

Id like to believe some of his readers and viewers would be turned off by him being a sexual assaulter but the sort of people that like this man probably have a very very fluid moral and belief system. Sexual assult is only committed by evil democrats and liberals. Chistians and republican folk would never beat or rape anyone.

 

[Lily Adler]

Unfortunately, your sarcastic comment seems to be the very case. I made the mistake of reading comments on an article about O'Reilly's termination and save your sanity as to not make the same.

 

[Matt]

Advertisers would care because the same reaction will be made. It will be worse because they have basically admitted they got rid of him for the same reasons they got rid of Ailes, so bringing him back shows they don't care. Which I know they don't, but that is why they have given the whole, "new internal investigation" idea. A new report that has lead to this. He also has a fresh allegation on his resume.

O'Reilly's notoriety is his biggest problem here.

Nah, you are assuming way too much and giving people way too much credit. O'Reilly will settle his lawsuits with non-disclosure agreements. He will let the heat die down, then he will be back. He won't be the first celebrity with a scandal like this to make a come back. People forget or become apathetic to it after a little bit of time. Its happened before. It'll happen again. I see no reason that this time is different.

 

[Lily Adler]

But will he return to Fox News or another network?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Nah, you are assuming way too much and giving people way too much credit. O'Reilly will settle his lawsuits with non-disclosure agreements. He will let the heat die down, then he will be back. He won't be the first celebrity with a scandal like this to make a come back. People forget or become apathetic to it after a little bit of time. Its happened before. It'll happen again. I see no reason that this time is different.

So I am clear, do you mean to Fox or somewhere else? Because when has someone been fired for sexually harassing women and then brought back to the same network?

 

[Matt]

But will he return to Fox News or another network?

I'd say there is a greater chance that he returns to Fox News than there is he that he goes to NBC or CNN.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'd say there is a greater chance that he returns to Fox News than there is he that he goes to NBC or CNN.

Well yes Matt, that is true.

 

[Matt]

So I am clear, do you mean to Fox or somewhere else? Because when has someone been fired for sexually harassing women and then brought back to the same network?

Are you familiar with the logical fallacy of the "appeal to antiquity"?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Are you familiar with the logical fallacy of the "appeal to antiquity"?

Yes. But you just based your argument on this happening before. So isn't that what you are doing?

 

[Marvolo]

Isnt the guy they replaced Bill with also an assaulter or a bigot?