In Support of My Opinion about Terry Gross

{see my post Oct 9, 2003}

NPR : The Ombudsman at National Public Radio

As I admitted in my earlier Blog about Terry Gross, I only heard the end of her interview with Bill O'Reilly. According to the NPR Ombudsman,

Finally, an aspect of the interview that I found particularly disturbing: It happened when Terry Gross was about to read a criticism of Bill O'Reilly's book from People magazine. Before Gross could read it to him for his reaction, O'Reilly ended the interview and walked out of the studio. She read the quote anyway.

That was wrong. O'Reilly was not there to respond. It's known in broadcasting as the "empty chair" interview, and it is considered an unethical technique and should not be used on NPR.

This is exactly what caused me to radically change my opinion of Ms. Gross. Not only did she do an empty chair interview, but the quote was purely an ad hominem attack from a book reviewer for People magazine. I later read the complete review in People. Half of the "book review" was used to attack O'Reilly personally. That's hardly a source that I would find important or compelling enough to wrap up a contentious interview.

More key quotes from the Ombudsman:

[B]y coming across as a pro-Franken partisan rather than a neutral and curious journalist, Gross did almost nothing that might have allowed the interview to develop.

and

By the time the interview was about halfway through, it felt as though Terry Gross was indeed "carrying Al Franken's water," as some listeners say. It was not about O'Reilly's ideas, or his attitudes or even about his book. It was about O'Reilly as political media phenomenon. That's a legitimate subject for discussion, but in this case, it was an interview that was, in the end, unfair to O'Reilly.

finally

I believe the listeners were not well served by this interview. It may have illustrated the "cultural wars" that seem to be flaring in the country. Unfortunately, the interview only served to confirm the belief, held by some, in NPR's liberal media bias.

Even an NPR representative has to admit that this is clear proof that there is a bias at NPR. No surprise to anyone, really, despite the protestation of those on the left to the contrary.