Media Matters for America summary, September 26, 2007
 
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:03:04 -0400

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<p>Here are today's news items from <i>Media Matters for America</i>, 
click on the title or 'read more' to read the entirety of each story.</p>
<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/race_affirmative_action?src=other">Race/Affirmative Action</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270001?src=other">CNN's  Roland Martin on  O'Reilly  comment:  "[L]ast  I  checked,  I  didn't  hand  over  my  brain  to  Rev.  Sharpton"</a></b><br />
On the September 25 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/25/ltm.01.html" title="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/25/ltm.01.html">edition</a> of CNN&#39;s <i>American 
Morning</i>, co-anchor Kiran Chetry asked CNN contributor <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/03/13/roland-s-martin-joins-cnn-as-contributor/" title="http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/03/13/roland-s-martin-joins-cnn-as-contributor/">Roland Martin</a> to 
respond 
to 
Fox News 
host Bill O&#39;Reilly&#39;s <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007">controversial comments</a> regarding his dinner with 
the Rev. Al Sharpton at Sylvia&#39;s, a restaurant in Harlem. On the September 19 
broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, O&#39;Reilly said: "I couldn&#39;t 
get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia&#39;s restaurant and 
any other restaurant in New York 
City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it&#39;s 
run by blacks, primarily black patronship. ... There wasn&#39;t one person in Sylvia&#39;s 
who was screaming, &#39;M-Fer, I want more iced tea.&#39; " O&#39;Reilly later stated during 
the same program: "I think that black Americans are starting to think more and 
more for themselves, getting away from the Sharptons and the [Rev. Jesse] 
Jacksons and people trying to lead them into a race-based culture. They&#39;re just 
trying to figure it out. &#39;Look, I can make it. If I work hard and get educated, 
I can make it.&#39; " On <i>American 
Morning</i>, Martin said of O&#39;Reilly&#39;s remarks: "[M]y problem is this 
notion that somehow African-Americans are starting to think for themselves, as 
if we haven&#39;t been thinking beforehand. I mean, last I checked, I didn&#39;t hand 
over my brain to Reverend Sharpton, Reverend Jackson. So, it&#39;s nuts. It&#39;s nuts." 
Martin later added: "African-Americans [have] always said, &#39;Work hard. Get an 
education.&#39; And so, somehow that it&#39;s just starting now -- that&#39;s ridiculous. 
It&#39;s ridiculous. So, maybe Bill ought to talk to some more African-Americans to 
get a better view than his hang-up with Reverend Sharpton and Reverend 
Jackson."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260010?src=other">O'Reilly:  "[B]ecause people of color are being slaughtered and harmed in Darfur, the left is on the  bandwagon"</a></b><br />
On the September 25 edition of his 
nationally syndicated radio show, while discussing President Bush&#39;s <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070925-4.html" title="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070925-4.html">speech</a> 
to the United Nations General Assembly earlier that day, <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill 
O&#39;Reilly</a> said that 
it was "interesting" that Bush "urged the United Nations to send troops to 
secure the peace in Sudan&#39;s 
war-ravaged region of Darfur." O&#39;Reilly then 
claimed that "Darfur is the left cause. They 
see the evil there and want to confront it, yet they don&#39;t want the evil 
confronted in the Islamic world. That&#39;s a very interesting situation." He added: 
"Now, Darfur is a disgrace, and that is Islamic 
driven. It&#39;s the same soup, but because people of color are being slaughtered 
and harmed in Darfur, the left is on the 
bandwagon. Interesting, isn&#39;t it?" 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260010?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260002?src=other">CNN's Sanchez: O'Reilly "screamed at the top of his lungs for a very long period of time"</a></b><br />
Bill O'Reilly stated that
CNN has gone "over to the dark side" for its coverage of
O'Reilly's recent statement that he was surprised "there was
no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City ... even
though it's run by blacks." O'Reilly said he "talked to
CNN last night" before the controversy was discussed on CNN's <em>Out in the Open</em> and "explained the
deal." He added, "They went ahead with the racist angle
anyway." <em>Out in the Open</em> host Rick Sanchez responded
to O'Reilly's assertion: "Never once did we utter the word
'racist' in relation to Bill O'Reilly," adding that
O'Reilly "screamed at the top of his lungs for a very long period
of time."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260003?src=other">O'Reilly: "[T]he far-left smear website <em>Media Matters</em> ... feeds the defamation out to the public"</a></b><br />
During the September 25 edition of his Fox News show,
responding to criticism of his recent statement, <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007">documented</a> by <i>Media Matters for America</i>, that "I couldn&#39;t get
over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia&#39;s restaurant [in
Harlem] and any other restaurant in New York City ... even though [Sylvia&#39;s is]
run by blacks," <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other">Bill
O&#39;Reilly</a> accused <i>Media
Matters</i> of taking his comments "out of context." During
his nightly "Talking Points Memo," he said that, "[e]very
weekday, we do three hours of commentary -- two on the radio, one on TV"
and claimed that, "every day, the far-left smear website <i>Media Matters</i> takes that commentary out of
context and feeds the defamation out to the public." O&#39;Reilly
added: "[W]e usually ignore it, until it is picked up by the so-called
mainstream media. Elements at NBC News have made a living parroting <i>Media Matters</i> garbage, and now, sadly, CNN
has jumped into the swamp." He also asserted: "<i>Media Matters</i> distorted the entire
conversation and implied I was racist for condemning racism. Stunningly, CNN
echoed the defamation on at least three of its programs." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260003?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260009?src=other"><em>Newsday </em>referred to O'Reilly's "misquoted report," but provided no examples</a></b><br />
The headline of a <em>Newsday</em>
article on Bill O'Reilly's controversial remarks about a Harlem restaurant run by African-Americans asserted, "O'Reilly
lashes out at CNN over misquoted report," but the article provided no examples of a "misquot[ation]," nor did it quote
O'Reilly claiming to have been "misquoted." The article also stated that "Mediamatters.org
released a partial transcript"
of O'Reilly's comments. In fact, <em>Media Matters</em> provided the relevant
transcript and audio clip of O'Reilly's remarks, which included the full context of
his statements.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260009?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260014?src=other">O'Reilly to  African-Americans: "The far  left is using you here"</a></b><br />
During the September 26 edition of 
his nationally syndicated radio show, responding to a caller&#39;s claim that "I 
don&#39;t hear the outrage from African-Americans that they get used a lot" by 
"media outlets," <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill 
O&#39;Reilly</a> asserted: 
"Yeah, you&#39;re right, but I don&#39;t think they know. I don&#39;t think 
they know. But it&#39;s an excellent point you&#39;re making." O&#39;Reilly later stated: 
"The more exposure we can get to this, the more black Americans we can reach ... 
and say to them, &#39;They&#39;re using you. The far left is using you here.&#39; " O&#39;Reilly 
was discussing a growing controversy over remarks he made following a dinner 
with the Rev. Al 
Sharpton at a Harlem restaurant. On the 
September 19 broadcast of his radio show, as <i>Media Matters for America</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?f=h_top" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top">documented</a>, 
O&#39;Reilly said: "I couldn&#39;t get over the fact that there was no difference 
between Sylvia&#39;s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it 
was exactly the same, even though it&#39;s run by blacks, primarily black 
patronship."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260014?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260005?src=other">Sylvia's family spokesperson reportedly found O'Reilly comments "offensive to the black culture"</a></b><br />
According to reports
by several media outlets, a family spokesperson for <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.sylviassoulfood.com/" title="http://www.sylviassoulfood.com/">Sylvia&#39;s restaurant</a>
in Harlem said that <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007">comments</a>
made by Fox News host <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill O&#39;Reilly</a> on the
September 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program were "[o]ne of the worst
stereotypes ever of our customers, of our people," "extremely
insensitive," and "outrageous."
Describing dinner with the Rev. Al Sharpton at the restaurant, O&#39;Reilly
said: "I couldn&#39;t get over the fact that there was no difference between
Sylvia&#39;s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. It was exactly the same, even
though it&#39;s run by blacks,
primarily black patronship." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/propaganda_noise_machine?src=other">Propaganda/Noise Machine</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270003?src=other">O'Reilly attacked  <em>Media Matters</em> with falsehood  about whether he received complaint</a></b><br />
In defending his controversial comments about race, Bill O'Reilly claimed that "we didn't hear one 
complaint about the program  that ran on more than 400 radio stations." Similarly, an Associated Press article stated that "O'Reilly said the [Juan] 
Williams conversation was carried on more than 400 radio stations and there 
wasn't one complaint from a listener." In fact, during the same broadcast in which 
O'Reilly made his controversial remarks, a caller told O'Reilly: "I think 
your spinning and bloviating does not do the black community justice. You're 
just giving fodder to your viewers who have a negative view of black people 
anyway, so your pointing out a couple of [rappers] Twistas and Ludacrises in the 
large general population is shameful."

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270003?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260006?src=other">Fox News' Doocy asserted that <em>Media Matters</em>,<em> </em>CNN on "personal jihad" against O'Reilly</a></b><br />
On the September 26 edition of Fox News&#39; <i>Fox &amp; Friends</i>, during a discussion of
Fox News host <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other">Bill
O&#39;Reilly</a>&#39;s controversial <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?f=h_top">comments</a>
about a recent trip to Sylvia&#39;s restaurant
in Harlem, co-host Brian Kilmeade said O&#39;Reilly&#39;s remarks have
"been blown out of proportion by a group called <i>Media Matters</i>," while co-host Steve
Doocy asserted, "I was on <i>The O&#39;Reilly Factor</i> last night doing the &#39;Culture Quiz,&#39;
and he [O&#39;Reilly] told this
story about how ... they&#39;re on this
personal jihad, it seems, CNN and <i>Media
Matters</i>, to destroy Bill O&#39;Reilly." Doocy then
characterized O&#39;Reilly&#39;s comments as follows: "Look, I went
up to Sylvia&#39;s restaurant in Harlem here in Manhattan and it was fantastic. ...There was no
inappropriate language." In fact, as <i>Media
Matters for America</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other">documented</a>, during the September 19
edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, O&#39;Reilly said,
"I couldn&#39;t get over the fact that there was no difference between
Sylvia&#39;s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the
same, even though it&#39;s run by blacks, primarily black patronship."
O&#39;Reilly went on to say, "There wasn&#39;t one person in Sylvia&#39;s who
was screaming, &#39;M-Fer, I want more iced tea.&#39; "
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260006?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270002?src=other">Scarborough:  Fox's coverage of O'Reilly's comments suggests he "has nothing to do with"  controversy</a></b><br />
In a discussion on MSNBC's <em>Morning 
Joe</em> of Bill O'Reilly's response to criticism of his controversial 
statement about dining at a Harlem restaurant, 
host Joe Scarborough noted, "I don't think that we're mischaracterizing it at 
all to say O'Reilly was surprised that a restaurant run by people of color was 
almost just like a normal restaurant." Scarborough also observed that "Fox has been coming up 
with some pretty, pretty crazy banners" describing the controversy that suggest 
"Bill O'Reilly has nothing to do with this at all. He didn't 
cause this at all."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260013?src=other">Gibson  responds to <em>Media Matters</em>  "attack" on his "black devil"/"white devil"  comment</a></b><br />
During the September 
25 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Fox News host John Gibson 
responded to a recent <i>Media Matters for 
America</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709240013?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709240013">item</a> documenting his September 21 
statement that while there are "black devils stalking their streets," those <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/20/jena.six/index.html?eref=rss_us" title="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/20/jena.six/index.html?eref=rss_us">protesting</a> in support of the so-called 
Jena 6 only "wanna fight the white devil." Gibson said that he is being 
"targeted, now, by the left." He continued: "<i>Media Matters for America</i>, the George 
Soros-funded operation that feels it can criticize everybody in the media ... 
attacked me over this." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260013?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/censorship?src=other">Censorship</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260001?src=other"><em>Media  Matters</em>' Waldman: "[I]f Bill O'Reilly got caught robbing a  bank he would say he was taken out of context"</a></b><br />
<i>Media Matters for 
America</i> 
Senior Fellow Paul Waldman appeared 
on the September 26 edition of NBC&#39;s <i>Today</i> show to discuss the controversy 
generated by comments made recently by Fox News host Bill O&#39;Reilly---and <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?f=h_top" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top">documented</a> by <i>Media 
Matters</i>---following his visit to a Harlem restaurant.


<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/2008_elections?src=other">2008 Elections</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260015?src=other">Major newspapers, network news still silent on Romney-Blackwater connection</a></b><br />
On September 22, the <em>Politico
</em>reported that Mitt Romney "has remained mum on the alleged
killing of 11 Iraqis by a company where one of his top advisers serves as vice
chairman, even as the case has led to an uproar in Baghdad
and Washington.
... The top counterterrorism and national security adviser to Romney's
presidential campaign is Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater USA."
But despite prominent reports by the
five major newspapers and
the three networks on the Iraqi Interior Ministry revoking Blackwater USA's license, none of those outlets has reported on Romney's
connection to Blackwater or his refusal to comment on the matter.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260015?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/immigration?src=other">Immigration</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260011?src=other">In <em>LA Times</em> op-ed, Krikorian cherry-picked  "anecdotal evidence" on immigration crackdown</a></b><br />
In a <em>Los Angeles Times</em> op-ed, 
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, 
claimed that there is "extensive anecdotal evidence" that "more illegal aliens 
are going home, leading to improved conditions for American workers and 
communities." He cited five newspaper articles for support, but four of those 
articles also reported that the departure of illegal immigrants might have caused or may yet cause local 
businesses to experience a drop in revenue and eliminate jobs.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260011?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/national_security_foreign_policy?src=other">National Security/Foreign Policy</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260012?src=other"><em>NY  Times</em>'  Seelye, public editor give conflicting reports on whether <em>Times </em>promised to run Giuliani ad on  specific day</a></b><br />
In a <em>New York Times</em> article, Katharine Q. Seelye reported that 
MoveOn.org paid the <em>Times </em>$77,508 
for its controversial General Betrayus" ad, and that 
Rudy Giuliani's campaign said it "would not pay the difference" between the 
"standby" rate and its regular rate for an ad it ran in response to MoveOn.org's 
because the<em> Times</em> "did not 
guarantee when it would run" Giuliani's ad. But three days earlier, <em>Times</em> public editor Clark Hoyt had written that 
Giuliani "demanded space in the following Friday's <em>Times</em> to answer MoveOn.org" and "got it." 
Further, Seelye herself had previously reported Giuliani's intention to request 
space in that day's paper for a rebuttal ad.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260012?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/electoral_reform?src=other">Electoral Reform</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260008?src=other">Reporting on  $175K donation, <em>LA Times</em> did not  mention that GOP is behind CA electoral-vote  initiative</a></b><br />
A September 26 <i>Los Angeles Times</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-donate26sep26,1,203845.story?ctrack=5&amp;cset=true" title="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-donate26sep26,1,203845.story?ctrack=5&amp;cset=true">article</a> reported that a "newly 
created Missouri company has made the first public donation to date -- $175,000 
-- to a proposed California initiative that would alter how the state allocates 
its electoral votes," referring to a controversial proposal to award 
California&#39;s electoral votes by congressional district. The article continued: 
"The donation arrived Sept. 11, one day after Missouri attorney Charles Hurth III created 
the company, TIA Take Initiative America." However, the <i>Times</i> did not note that the initiative was 
proposed by a lawyer with ties to the California Republican Party and was <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/09/state/n125157D97.DTL&amp;type=politics" title="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/09/state/n125157D97.DTL&amp;type=politics">endorsed</a> by the party&#39;s state 
convention. Nor did the article report that Hurth has donated to the campaign of GOP 
presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. 
Indeed, the word "Republican" appears nowhere in the 
article.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709260008?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




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