Objectivity On O'Reilly

       Bill O'Reilly is disliked by both the right and left. He seems to be an equal opportunity irritant. O'Reilly describes himself as an independant, and I tend to agree with him.

       I have often wondered what makes his show so popular. But, then again, I've often wondered what makes Oprah's show so popular. I'm not even going to hazard a guess as far as Oprah is concerned, but I will throw out a few ideas about O'Reilly.

      One of the first things that I think appeals to viewers is the whole concept of "No Spin". In this age of unlimited information and political correctness, I think it is refreshing for people to see someone cut through the clutter of analysis and opinion and dig out the facts of a story. There is nothing more frustrating than watching someone skirt issues and dodge questions. I would rather hear an interviewee say, "No comment" than to listen to them doing verbal acrobatics.

      Another aspect of O'Reilly's show is that it is basically fair. I know that many people might disagree with me on this, but I think that those people may want to do a little retrospection on their level of objectivity. In many cases, O'Reilly takes the role of Devil's Advocate in order to truly debate the issue at hand. In other cases, O'Reilly has guests that represent both sides of the issue.

      O'Reilly and his staff, in my opinion, research their stories better than other news programs. I think viewers appreciate this and they also appreciate the fact that O'Reilly doesn't make snap judgements on volatile issues, but waits for the facts to come out. He makes his own assessments and doesn't just regurgitate the mainstream media.

      I realize I may sound like I'm cheerleading for Bill O'Reilly. To be honest, there are many occasions when I disagree with his opinions and ideologies. I do, however, respect and admire the success of his program. The basic concepts of straight talk, fairness, objectivity, and factuality are things that I want to apply to my writing when addressing political and social issues.

      Interestingly enough, I have met several people who absolutely abhor Bill O'Reilly, who represent both the right and the left. All of them have had one thing in common - they had never watched his show. How's that for objectivity?