Bill O’Reilly Bans the Press From His Values Voter Speech
When reporters walked up to the ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel to see Bill O’Reilly’s Friday night speech -- he was receiving the Media Courage Award --
Jul 31, 20201M Shares15.3M Views
When reporters walked up to the ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel to see Bill O’Reilly’s Friday night speech — he wasreceiving the “Media Courage Award”— we were told, to our surprise, that no members of the media would be allowed in. Word had leaked out that no non-Fox News cameras would be allowed in, but there had been no indication that no reporters could attend even if they left their recording equipment and notebooks outside.
I was one of about a dozen reporters who huddled outside the room for a few minutes immediately after the speech was supposed to start. Security guards, pictured after the jump, ushered us further and further away from the door–we could hear brief bits of O’Reilly’s speech when the doors would swing open. At around 7:10, we heard a loud clatter and the doors blasted open, as Mike Stark, a Huffington Post liberal blogger [UPDATE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Stark, formerly employed by FireDogLake, still worked for that site], was hauled out by multiple security guards.
“I have a right to be here!” shouted Stark, as he was forced into the stairwell leading outside the hotel. Speaking the next morning, emcee Gil Mertz mocked Stark (not by name) as a “representative from don’tjudgemeasIjudgeyou.org.”
The blocked ballroom door.
The belated warning to the press, which was posted in the press room during the speech.
–
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles