GLAAD Issues Call To Action Against Fox, O'Reilly
On the June 2 edition of Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” host Bill O’Reilly made highly offensive comments while discussing a gay themed McDonald’s advertisement currently airing in France.
After playing the ad for his viewers O’Reilly asked Jane Skinner to weigh in on the content. Skinner pointed out that the ad campaign is “part of an overreaching campaign called ‘come as you are,’ which you saw at the end there. So they show people in different walks of life.” O’Reilly then asked, “Do they have an al Qaeda ad, you know, come as you are? You know?”
Instead of evaluating the commercial in a fair manner, O’Reilly used the occasion to defame the LGBT community, suggesting that McDonald’s might begin marketing to terrorists simply because the company produced a gay friendly television commercial. His lighthearted tone in the segment was equally disturbing.
Cable opinion programs like “The O’Reilly Factor” have a responsibility to cover issues with a level of respect and civility. Bill O’Reilly failed to live up to that standard in making these defamatory remarks. Fox News Channel is equally accountable for allowing O’Reilly a platform for this insulting and irresponsible commentary.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Please contact Fox News Channel and voice your concerns about Bill O’Reilly history of verbal attacks on LGBT people including this latest incident of comparing the gay community to al Qaeda. Urge O’Reilly and Fox News to apologize and tell the network to stop allowing its airwaves to be used for anti-gay defamation.
Send an email demanding apologies from Bill O'Reilly and FOX News executives:
http://www.glaad.org/calltoaction/oreilly/june10/takeaction
Contacts:
Amy Sohnen
Executive Producer, The O’Reilly Factor
Fox News Channel
(212) 301-3197
sohnen@foxnews.com
William Shine
Programming Executive Vice President
Fox News Channel
(212) 301-3289
bill.shine@foxnews.com
David Clark
Programming Senior Executive Producer
Fox News Channel
(212) 301-5352
david.clark@foxnews.com
Brian Lewis
Corporate Communications Executive Vice President
Fox News Channel
(212) 301-3331
lewis@foxnews.com
GLAAD Contacts:
Cindi Creager
Director of National News
(646) 871-8019
creager@glaad.org
Richard Ferraro
Director of Public Relations
(646) 871-8011
ferraro@glaad.org
About GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.
