The high and mighty Bill O'Reilly will apparently air tonight off-color (no pun intended) remarks that Rev. Jesse Jackson made today about Barack Obama on a hot microphone (he believed the mike was off). Sean Hannity made a grand announcement that they had this video and would replay the remarks tonight.
While the comments are of racial nature, this is not about race. I don't care if the candidate is white, black, red or Ross Perot, this is "gotcha journalism" at its worst.
Confidence in my business is eroding because sensationalistic journalists use any weapon within their reach to humiliate, embarrass or controversialize (Shut up, I'm mad, so it's a word). Any journalist knows there is a time when things are being said and when things are not being said even though they are said. Are you totally confused by that statement? I mean there used to be a time of professional courtesy when yes, you might know somebody was a racist or an idiot but, if it didn't interfere with the public well being or national safety, you'd let it go. Slide it in your back pocket and actually be a fallible human being for once who understands what it means to make a mistake.
Good days those were. When journalists weren't labeled as soulless cretins.
Not tonight though, enjoy your ratings boost, Fox.
And when you're done, hammer another nail in the coffin of responsible journalism.
