Bill O'Reilly is done.
We did something that we were told was impossible. When we first launched this campaign in 2014, people told us that we were no match for Bill O'Reilly. That no amount of public pressure, especially not from a Black organization, could ever change anything at Fox News. Our resources and time would be better spent elsewhere.
But our members spoke and we listened. And after it came to light that O'Reilly's dangerous rhetoric against Black people, people of color, and women mirrored the morally bankrupt and predatory actions he carried out against Black people and women when the cameras were off; we couldn’t take it anymore. We banded together with partners like UltraViolet, the Women's March, NOW-New York, CREDO, Sleeping Giants, and MoveOn. And over 340,000 petition signatures, thousands of flyers, tweets, 77 advertisers abandoning “The O'Reilly Factor” and hundreds of calls later, Fox News has officially announced that Bill O’Reilly’s platform for anti Black vitriol and misogyny has been canceled. You read that right--after twenty years of demonizing Black communities and irresponsible, dishonest journalism, ”The O’Reilly Factor” is off the air.
This is a victory for American hero, Representative Maxine Waters, whom Bill O’Reilly disrespected on national television as she was defending our country. This is a victory for the Black Lives Matter movement whom Bill O’Reilly lambasted as a hate group as they fought for the freedom and safety of Black folks everywhere. This is a victory for the countless women, Black people, and people of color who were made to feel small during Bill O’Reilly’s incessant, pathological rants. And most importantly, this is a victory for female Fox News employees, who were just trying to do their jobs but were instead subjected to O’Reilly’s lewd intimidation and sexual harassment.
Will you join us as we keep the pressure on Fox News--and fight to keep hate off our television screens?