The Decatur Factor

This is a rather strange editorial in the Decatur Herald & Review. The editor takes time to rebut a column written by Bill O’Reilly that appeared in the H&R. The editor is upset that O’Reilly played fast and loose with the facts. We all know that’s what Big Bill does best, so why the sudden concern? Because O’Reilly hits close to home by criticizing (and misrepresenting as usual) issues involving newspapers.

It’s nice to see the H&R willing to stand up for its own industry but otherwise give the guy a free forum for lies and distortions on everyone else.

Aside from that, I was kind of taken aback by this silly statement:

First, the dire news about newspapers and revenues. There is no doubt that some
newspapers – particularly those in major markets – are seeing a decline in advertising revenues. Some of the reason for that is cyclical, some of it has to
do with economic concerns brought on by the Iraq War and the disastrous hurricane season and some of it has to do with increased competition from other media. [Emphasis Mine]

Iraq and Katrina? I know those events have wrought a whole host of ills but declining newspaper revenues? It seems to me if there was good coverage of those events in newspapers, as there has been, that might tend to even increase circulation resulting in more advertising.

Anyway, if the H&R wants to refute “facts” that appear in it’s opinion pieces it should do so on al issues and then, I dunno, dump the most consistently truth-challenged writers