Liberal Diane Sawyer Swears Neutrality: 'People Will Know What the Truth Is'
By Scott Whitlock | July 08, 2011 | 16:10
World News host Diane Sawyer swears she simply "brings the facts" and makes sure people "know what the truth is." The anchor appeared on Thursday's O'Reilly Factor to promote her new special on kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard.
O'Reilly pointed out that such stories of brutality infuriate him and are the reason he's a commentator and not a straight journalist. Asked if she ever shows anger as a reporter, Sawyer professed, "No, I get purposeful, which is different. I always think that my job is to marshal facts and bring the facts out and let the facts deliver whatever information there is to deliver."
Touting her objectivity, the ABC journalist continued, "And at the end of the day, people will know what the truth is. And that's got to be my job." Of course, as a Profile in Bias by the Media Research Center proved, Sawyer is anything but neutral. From gushing over Nancy Pelosi ("galvanized steel with a smile") to dreaming about Bill Clinton, Sawyer definitely delivers her facts from the left.
[See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Asked if she feels an obligation to "educate" Americans about evil, Sawyer didn't exactly answer the question.
She dodged, "I think we have a responsibility to tell the stories of real lives and, to the extent they bring us lessons about who we are and what we might do, and also about who we want to be and what we want our justice officials to do and how we want to react, absolutely."
Sawyer has repeatedly hyped Democrats, including this praise of John Edwards and Ted Kennedy:
“Today is the day the Senate may pass that patients’ bill of rights, which would guarantee your right to sue your HMO. When that happens, one big winner out of Washington will be one of the bill’s key Democratic backers, North Carolina’s newcomer John Edwards. He is said to have the combined political skills — are you ready for this? — of Clinton and Kennedy, Kennedy and Clinton together, and also to have a very good shot at the White House.”
— Sawyer on Good Morning America, June 29, 2001.
“An incredible night: A return and a roar from the lion of the Democrats....You can almost still feel and hear the echo of the roar that went up last night when Senator Edward Kennedy returned to the convention....People were overwhelmed, simply overwhelmed. They knew it was a night to remember for all ages.”
— Sawyer on the first night of the Democratic convention, August 26, 2008, Good Morning America.
She even once compared Hillary Clinton to Jesus Christ:
“As we know this morning, there is another ground-breaking, crossroads moment. That is for Senator Hillary Clinton, who ran her campaign on her own terms. This woman, as we said, forged into determination and purpose her whole life. As someone said, ‘No thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.’”
— ABC’s Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, June 4, 2008, quoting a 17th century discourse about Jesus Christ.
For more on Sawyer, see her Profile in Bias.
A transcript of the July 08 O'Reilly Factor exchange can be found below:
BILL O'REILLY: Do you- I had Peter Jennings on, the late Peter Jennings on a program a few years ago, and I said to him, "You know, I get really angry at these stories." As you know, I'm furious about this Casey Anthony verdict. Furious.
SAWYER: I know.
O'REILLY: And I show I it, which is why I'm doing commentary now and not anchoring news someplace. Do you get angry about it and not show it?
SAWYER: No, I get purposeful, which is different. I always think that my job is to marshal facts and bring the facts out and let the facts deliver whatever information there is to deliver. And at the end of the day, people will know what the truth is. And that's got to be my job. I think that- that there are different functions. And I love the dialogue between the two, but I really do think they are different and should stay different.
O'REILLY: So you feel that it's your responsibility to step back from the anger and just present the facts, whereas I feel it's my responsibility as a commentator to show the audience that I'm angry and tell them why. And I think both are necessary in the discourse in this country.
SAWYER: Right. And our job is to watch you and, I hope, watch me.
O'REILLY: All right, Diane. How's that? Diane? Is that good?
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Comments
I watched this last night and
Submitted by kareling on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:29pm.
I watched this last night and what really made me snort was when Bill said something to Diane about how she used to be on GMA, but now she does "hard news." Obviously he doesn't watch ABC World News Tonight. I do, mainly for the entertainment value and, I must admit, many years of habit. In one week she did two stories about the penguin who washed up on the beach in NZ; did a fluff piece on Michelle Obama almost every day when she was visiting South Africa; and she keeps a very close watch on the progress of Congresswoman Giffords. But she has yet to breathe a word about Operation Fast & Furious.
Every night I watch Bret Baier at 6 pm, then Diane at 6:30. The difference is absolutely breathtaking.
Nope, Diane.
Submitted by johnsonl on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:38pm.
Nobody's watching. Your ratings reflect that. You slant the news to the left. Sorry.
On a more serious note, why don't liberals admit that they are liberals? Because they know that their positions are indefensible through any kind of logic, reasoning or facts. Liberals live in a world full of emotions and "I wish". So, they portray themselves as normal and continue to live in denial.
If everyone knew the "truth"
Submitted by rbosque on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:35pm.
If everyone knew the "truth" there would be little conflict. Truth is not that self-evident, just look at ABC's reporting.
Left Orielly
Submitted by Kilroy on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:35pm.
I used to watch B.O regularly but he has become too much of an apologist for the left lately. Why he didn't take her to task for her claim that she steps back and maintains neutrality is odd. He's just becoming bo jr. to Obama's Bo sr.
My take on BO is that he is
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:56pm.
My take on BO is that he is in NYC and is contaminated by that and the business he is in. He has had more of a left slant as of late.
Sawyer
Submitted by jessieH on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:44pm.
She's a hack. Always has been. She wouldn't know a fact if it bit her in the butt.
I typically don't watch
Submitted by marpel on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 4:53pm.
I typically don't watch O'Reilly anymore. Gives too much benefit of the doubt to the liberals.
"Deep within my heart lies a memory. A song of ol' San Antone..."
How Sawyer can lie like that
Submitted by Beukeboom on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:00pm.
How Sawyer can lie like that with a straight face reveals her pathological nature.
Diane Sawyer
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:15pm.
"And at the end of the day, people will know what the truth is. And that's got to be my job."
Diane Sawyer, the self-appointed High Priestess of the Ministry of Truth. Telling people what the truth is with every broadcast.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
second time
Submitted by grammajane on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:18pm.
This is the second time she has been on BOR in a few weeks claiming she is not a biased news reporter. Give me a break!!! She fawns over Libs and has done so for years. Why does OReilly have her on the show claiming she is something she is not. Doesn't say much for him either. She had a dream about Clinton.....refuse to go there.
BOR likes to set people up to
Submitted by amyshulk on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:31pm.
Seems to me BOR likes to set people up to hang themselves. It's a very subtle pattern, sometimes taking a loooooong time from setting the noose to their stepping off the chair, but it is there. Whether he does this with intent? NO clue. Most times he seems too impatient to do the long game.
Ronald Reagan
@amy
Submitted by Samshile on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 10:31pm.
I think your correct aobut BillBoy. He runs a University debate show with politcis and culter as the theme. He is not a water carring Conservative. That is Hannities gig. I love his show. I like that he keeps a detached position at times. I dont need Bll to bloviate the rightwing talking points I like to disagree with all of you at times. lol
The sad part is..
Submitted by docjohn52 on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:32pm.
She really believes she is...
Glad I missed this
Submitted by MinneMike on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:45pm.
When show hosts interview show hosts, there must be something better to do.
amazing
Submitted by ohio granny on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 6:22pm.
Absolutely amazing how these people spout such nonsense with a straight face. Sawyer has not been neutral since she has been on national tv. The New York - Washington DC bubble, I guess. O'Reilly is infected with the same disease, but maybe a little less obvious.
Long-time O'Reilly watcher
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 12:32pm.
His big outrages (Anthony etc) seem sort of fake. Also he puts half-clad women, salacious internet commercials, and other ratings boosters on all the time and then bemoans the fall of society. I guess I should grow up, but his insistence for weeks that Anthony was a murderer--oh, yeah, he knew, for sure!--seemed kind of unprofessional.
The ONLY reason I will watch
Submitted by Lgbpop on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 7:35pm.
The ONLY reason I will watch Sawyer once in a blue moon is that silly expression on her face of perpetual confusion and stupidity. To me, it's a perfect reflection on how the left sees the world: utterly confused by fact and reality, after which the futile attempts to concoct a story that only makes sense to another leftist.
One half-hour of that is like banging my head against a wall - it feels so good when I stop!
She always looks so vague
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 12:28pm.
She tries to be murmury and sexy and sort of sly, but it doesn't come off. Maybe that works at Upper East Side parties.
So she tries to be murmury
Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 10:02am.
So she tries to be murmury and sexy and sort of sly but frankly it looks more like she's on sedatives to me.
Diane....right. Who do you
Submitted by freedom-rings on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 9:33pm.
Diane....right. Who do you think your kidding? Sorry, rhetorical question...
one of my favorite O'Reilly moments ever...
Submitted by Jnoble on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 10:11pm.
..was when he had Annnnnndrea Mitchell (NBC NEWS WASHINGTON!) on and asked her to tell him how many conservatives worked in her newsroom. The look of utter contempt and anger she gave him back when sputtering an answer was priceless. I think what she said was something lame along the lines of "there's people of all views in our newsroom!" Yeah....right. :-)
I love how O'Reilly because he gives enough rope
Submitted by gmaniac1 on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 7:45am.
for these elitists to hang themselves. The fact that he gets that wannabe pedophile Letterman such a hard time is evidence enough for me.
I know he's somewhat of a populist but he definitely leans more towards the constitution.
Diane Sawyer may as well say, "I am a robot of the left I just report what they put in front of me." Obviously this is done in her best Dem-bot voice.
O'Really?
Submitted by Hillbilly Genius on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 10:04am.
Hannity and O'Reilly suck on so many levels it's like a never ending game of pong. I find it strange that when confronted with truth, O'Reilly will argue and even yell at his guests and eventually kick them off his show. When a young guy came on there, who's dad was killed on 9/11, O'Reilly got mad when he said that we trained Bin Laden back in the 80's and the arabs were responsible for the attack and not Afghanistan or Iraq. Turns out the kid knew what he was talking about and the 9/11 report backed him up on it. Instead of debating a point or moving on, O'Reilly said the kid's father would be ashamed of him, his mother is disgraced by him and started yelling at the kid. The kid tried to give his answer but BO cut him off and suppressed his answers. To me, that's an insecure bastard who doesn't have the facts to back up his argument so he yells at a kid to intimidate him into submission. By the way, it's on youtube for all to see. As far as Hannity goes, he is a puppet of Gingrich and the GOP establishment. Neither of these two are for real personal freedom. They are no different than the left except they want the rules in their favor instead of the left's. They have no regard for liberty and are really no different than the bias media on the left. Example: When Obama invaded Libya, Hannity agreed and so did O'Reilly. They even chided Obama for not invading Iran when the protests were going strong last Summer. Hannity and O'Reilly are both products of being too far disconnected with real people. I am not rich but I know my facts and I love liberty. Like the old saying goes, the road to damnation is paved with good intentions. That goes for the Liberals and GOP. When you support Libertarian and liberty under all circumstances, the rest of the problems will resolve themselves. Ron Paul 2012.
Lots of claims but no
Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 10:04am.
Lots of claims but no supporting evidence. Definitely not a genius, are ya?!? LOL!
Try providing links next time, okay?
Your full of crap
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 10:11am.
And cant back up any of this
Maybe, But Which Fact Will Sawyer Decide to Report?
Submitted by Comrade Jim on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 10:34am.
1.Obama makes 10 gaffes
2. Biden makes 20 gaffes
3. Pelosi make 30 gaffes
4. Reid makes 40 gaffes
5. Sarah Palin makes a statement interpreted by the media as a gaffe
Another great example of
Submitted by deerjerkydave on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 9:44pm.
Another great example of Diane Sawyer's bias: watch her interview of Ken Starr. A total hit piece by a Clinton lap dog!
http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2009/08/2001-07-10-ABC-GMA-...
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"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite. -James Madison