PEOPLE ARE STILL UNHAPPY WITH BILL O’REILLY: Is it free speech for Big Media only? Sounds like it to me. And Jeremy Lott is pretty hard on O’Reilly in The American Prowler:

It had been some time since I last checked in on O’Reilly, so this was a bit of a letdown. He at least used to be an interesting crank. For people who actually take the time to gain a working knowledge of the Internet, these charges are so easily rebutted that I fear bloggers and other tech savvy types won’t realize how many people who listened to this screed were nodding their heads in agreement.

This is especially dangerous because some of these people write laws. The Council of Europe is putting the final screws on a proposal recommending that countries pass legislation to mandate a “right of reply,” which would force all “online media” (including bloggers) to give equal time to those people whom they criticize. In the U.S. broadcast media, this was known by the Orwellian moniker the Fairness Doctrine. If employed today, it would put half of the cable news channels out of business, but, hey, as long as it’s not O’Reilly’s ox being gored …

It’s too bad non-sentient networks can’t sue for defamation, because the Internet would have a pretty strong case.

I love that last line.