New Media Players - No Spin News Special

Summary

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis: New Media Players - No Spin News Special (May 29, 2025)

In the latest episode of Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis, host Bill O’Reilly delves into the evolving landscape of media power in America. Featuring insights from media expert Dan Abrams, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, and British journalist Piers Morgan, the episode explores the decline of mainstream media, the impact of partisanship, the contentious relationship between former President Donald Trump and the media, and the international perception of American politics.

---

1. The Decline of Mainstream Media’s Influence

Bill O’Reilly opens the discussion by questioning whether traditional, corporate media is losing its grip in America. He poses this to Dan Abrams, a seasoned media correspondent.

Bill O’Reilly [00:35]:
"So number one question is the media, the linear media, corporate media, losing power in America?"

Dan Abrams [01:01]:
"Absolutely. That's an easy one. The mainstream media, the media that you and I grew up on, has definitely lost influence. It's lost viewers, it's lost its power."
[Dan Abrams, 01:01]

Abrams concurs, highlighting a significant decline in viewership and overall influence of mainstream media outlets. He notes that while these organizations still hold sway, their reach and impact have diminished compared to previous decades.

---

2. Partisanship Eroding Trust in Media

O’Reilly attributes the decline in media power to increasing partisanship and diminishing trust among audiences.

Bill O’Reilly [01:43]:
"I know there's more competition with the social media, but I believe it has to do with partisanship... I think that's the main reason for the decline."
[Bill O’Reilly, 01:43]

Dan Abrams [02:08]:
"I think it's a combination. I think it is definitely the medium. It is the fact that people can get information elsewhere."
[Dan Abrams, 02:08]

The conversation underscores how political bias and the availability of alternative information sources, particularly social media, have fragmented the media landscape. This fragmentation has led audiences to seek out news that aligns with their preexisting beliefs, further eroding trust in traditional media institutions.

---

3. The Conservative Exodus from Mainstream Media

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the loss of conservative audiences from mainstream media outlets.

Dan Abrams [02:27]:
"I think the major loss for the mainstream media has been among conservatives. There is no doubt about that."
[Dan Abrams, 02:27]

Bill O’Reilly [02:41]:
"But you might prefer to hear more of what you know you want to hear on a daily basis... And I will say that the major loss for the mainstream media has been among conservatives."
[Bill O’Reilly, 02:41]

Abrams explains that conservative viewers have migrated to alternative platforms like Fox News and Newsmax, which cater specifically to their political preferences. This shift has significantly impacted the viewership and influence of traditional mainstream media channels.

---

4. Donald Trump’s Impact on Media Dynamics

Bill O’Reilly and Dan Abrams discuss former President Donald Trump’s role in transforming media relations.

Bill O’Reilly [03:51]:
"I think Trump destroyed the media and he did it passively, not actively... But by hating Trump as much as MSNBC, NBC News, CNN."
[Bill O’Reilly, 03:51]

Dan Abrams [04:22]:
"There really is this sense on the part of some, they are so angry at Trump all the time that they just can't do what they're supposed to do in a remotely objective way."
[Dan Abrams, 04:22]

O’Reilly asserts that Trump’s consistent antagonism towards mainstream media outlets like AP and NBC has weakened their authority. Abrams acknowledges this sentiment, referring to it as "Trump derangement syndrome," where media personnel are perceived to be excessively biased against Trump, hindering objective reporting.

---

5. Media Spotlight on Bill O’Reilly and Democratic Party Challenges

The discussion shifts to the increasing media attention on Bill O’Reilly and the broader challenges facing the Democratic Party.

Bill O’Reilly [07:00]:
"So over the past few weeks, the Washington Post, the New Yorker magazine, the New York Times, Athletic, the New York Post, Fox News News Nation, have all done features on you about your political future in their estimation."
[Bill O’Reilly, 07:00]

Stephen A. Smith [07:27]:
"Because I do something that the Democratic Party doesn't do at this particular moment in time. I resonate. It's really that simple."
[Stephen A. Smith, 07:27]

Bill O’Reilly [12:26]:
"No Democrat has the courage to say this. Joe Biden destroyed the party. He destroyed."
[Bill O’Reilly, 12:26]

Smith discusses the Democratic Party's internal struggles and its inability to produce resonant leaders at the national level. O’Reilly criticizes President Joe Biden, asserting that his leadership has severely weakened the party. This segment highlights the ongoing political tensions and the media’s role in shaping narratives around party dynamics.

---

6. International Perspectives: Donald Trump and British Media

British journalist Piers Morgan joins the conversation to provide an international viewpoint on Trump’s relationship with the media.

Bill O’Reilly [14:21]:
"Donald Trump's taken revenge on the American media, correct?"
[Bill O’Reilly, 14:21]

Piers Morgan [14:43]:
"Somebody punches you, punch them 10 times harder back is his mantra and always has been for 50 years."
[Piers Morgan, 14:43]

Piers Morgan [17:56]:
"The British people buy it meek and mild."
[Piers Morgan, 17:56]

Morgan agrees that Trump’s antagonism towards the media is consistent with his established persona. He elaborates on the British public’s perception of Trump, noting a more favorable view compared to the initial backlash during Trump's first term. Morgan attributes this shift to dissatisfaction with the UK’s own political leaders and media portrayal.

---

7. Conclusion: Media Evolution and Future Outlook

The episode concludes with reflections on the evolving media landscape and the future trajectory of both traditional and new media platforms.

Dan Abrams [20:34]:
"To watch the full episodes of the no spin news, visit billoriley.com and sign up."
[Dan Abrams, 20:34]

Stephen A. Smith [20:38]:
"Today."
[Stephen A. Smith, 20:38]

The hosts encourage listeners to engage further with their content through BillOReilly.com, emphasizing the ongoing need for diverse media voices in a rapidly changing environment.

---

Key Takeaways

• Declining Influence: Mainstream media has experienced a significant decline in influence and viewership, particularly among conservative audiences.

• Partisanship's Role: Increased political polarization and the rise of alternative media platforms have fragmented the information landscape, reducing trust in traditional outlets.

• Trump’s Media Strategy: Donald Trump’s antagonistic stance towards mainstream media has further eroded their credibility and influence.

• Democratic Challenges: The Democratic Party faces internal struggles and a lack of resonant leadership, contributing to its weakened standing.

• International Views: Outside the U.S., perceptions of American media and political figures like Trump can differ, influenced by local political climates and media narratives.

This episode of No Spin News offers a comprehensive analysis of the shifting dynamics in media power, the impact of political figures on media credibility, and the broader implications for future political discourse.

Transcript

[Joe]

Hi, this is Joe from Vanta. In today's digital world, compliance regulations are changing constantly and earning customer trust has never mattered more. Vanta helps companies get compliant fast and stay secure with the most advanced AI automation and continuous monitoring out there. So whether you're a startup going for your first SoC2 or ISO 27001 or a growing enterprise managing vendor risk, Vanta makes it quick, easy and scalable. And I'm not just saying that because I work here. Get [e-mail].

[Bill O'Reilly]

Dan Abrams, you know him, was at NBC. He's still at ABC as a legal correspondent. He runs a website called Mediaite where they write about media every day. He was on NewsNation until recently. The guy knows the media. So. So number one question is the media, the linear media, corporate media, losing power in America?

[Dan Abrams]

Absolutely. That's an easy one. The mainstream media, the media that you and I grew up on, has definitely lost influence. It's lost viewers, it's lost its power. It doesn't mean it's powerless, still influential, but just doesn't have anything like the sort of influence that it once had. And by the way, I think that applies to the Associated Press as well. I mean, AP used to, you know. You know, this AP used to be the thing, right. AP sends something out. It goes to everyone. Everywhere, all over the world. Well, now everything goes to everyone all over the world.

[Bill O'Reilly]

That's right. Now why are they losing power so rapidly? I know there's more competition with the social media, but I believe it has to do with partisanship that people. And all the surveys show this. They don't trust the media anymore. It's in business. Impeach, preach to the choir, tell people what they want to hear. I think that's the main reason for the decline.

[Dan Abrams]

I think it's a combination. I think it is definitely the medium. It is the fact that people can get information elsewhere. They don't have to turn on and be.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Why wouldn't you turn it on if you liked it?

[Dan Abrams]

Yeah, you might.

[Bill O'Reilly]

But you might like it, you know.

[Dan Abrams]

Right.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Mine.

[Dan Abrams]

But you might prefer to hear more of what you know you want to hear on a daily basis. And I will say that the major loss for the mainstream media has been among conservatives. There is no doubt about that.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Well, wait a minute. There's two networks that are 100% conservative. Fox and Newsmax.

[Dan Abrams]

Yes, correct. And I think that they.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The.

[Dan Abrams]

The ABCs and CBS is. And put aside cable for a moment. Right. The broadcast networks, the places that everyone used to get their news from. The folks who are on the right will now very often go to someone like Bret Baier on Fox News to get that quote unquote newscast or they'll go to folks like you, by the way, who are on their own independent, not beholden to a bigger entity, and they'll say, you know What? I like O'Reilly. What does he have to say about this? I think people now have a lot more choices than they ever had before. And I think that has made a huge difference in these guys used to be the gatekeepers. It was all about if you weren't, you know, you couldn't get someone to cover it. Ah, then the story faded. Now there's a whole host of opportunities and options to get someone to get a story your take, whatever it is out there.

[Bill O'Reilly]

I think Trump destroyed the media and he did it passively, not actively. Obviously this AP thing was active. He doesn't like them. He doesn't like NBC in particular, those two. But by hating Trump as much as msnbc, NBC News, cnn, by hating him viscerally hating him to this day, to this moment, Fair minded America is not ideologues. Makes us uneasy. Am I wrong?

[Dan Abrams]

I think you're right. I think you're right. Look, I think there is, you know, people use the term Trump derangement syndrome, right? And you know, either people on the right use it and say it with a sort of a smile and a snicker and people on the left say, oh, there's no such thing. But the truth is there is such thing. There, there really is this sense on the part of some, they are so angry at Trump all the time that they, that they just can't do what they're supposed to do in a remotely objective way. Now, I will say this in defense of some of the folks on the left is that Donald Trump has gone into this, Trump 2, his second effort here, and has definitely taken more extreme measures and positions than he did in Trump 1. And as a result, if you are someone who is object, quote, there's no such thing as objectivity, pure objectivity, let's call it. You're somewhere right of center, left of center right, and the guy who's in power is taking positions that are pretty extreme in a lot of ways, you're going to be calling him out. And as a result, you're going to hear more criticism of Trump than you might of another Republican in that role. In the same way, by the way, if you had AOC or Elon Omar, and I'm not saying that they're out.

[Bill O'Reilly]

No, I wouldn't be at the same level, though. It wouldn't be at the same level.

[Dan Abrams]

I think that's fair. I think you're right. It wouldn't be.

[Bill O'Reilly]

The corporate media tried to re elect the Biden administration through Kamala Harris. They tried everything. That 60 Minutes thing is a legitimate thing. They tried to help her.

[Dan Abrams]

Oh, come on. You think that 60 Minutes.

[Bill O'Reilly]

I saw that transcript. I saw how they edited it. And they did not have to edit it that way. They tried.

[Dan Abrams]

How do we know that they edited it? We know they edited it because they put it themselves. They admit they put it out in two different forms. They put out one, they put out the other. They didn't have to tease on Face the Nation. They put out the other. On 60 Minutes, they were doing it because they just thought, oh, these are two, you know, different ways of getting the same thing.

[Bill O'Reilly]

How long did it take for 60 minutes to put that transcript out?

[Dan Abrams]

That was the mistake. The mistake was not released. But now that we've seen it. But now that we've seen it, it wasn't that big a deal. I've edited typical editing.

[Bill O'Reilly]

You and I have edited thousands of pieces. I never would edit my piece that way in a million years. I wouldn't.

[Dan Abrams]

I didn't. I didn't find that editing to be that disturbing. I didn't find it to be disturbing at all.

[Bill O'Reilly]

But I think they absolutely. And then subsequently, every week on 60 Minutes, they just bash Trump dispatcher.

[Dan Abrams]

Well, that's every week. That's true.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So over the past few weeks, the Washington Post, the New Yorker magazine, the New York Times, Athletic, the New York Post, Fox News News Nation, have all done features on you about your political future in their estimation. It's not like you've said anything like that. Why do you think that is? Why are you getting so much attention in this area?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Because I do something that the Democratic Party doesn't do at this particular moment in time. I resonate. It's really that simple. And I'm not saying that to brag on myself. I'm saying that to highlight the desolate state of affairs that exist within the Democratic Party. They haven't been very, very impressive, collectively speaking, of course. And I think that when you see the election and what the election results revealed, Donald Trump gets 77 million votes. He wins the popular vote. He wins the Electoral college vote. He wins every swing state. He's up in like 50 counties. He gave her a run for her money in New York. They improved in California, and obviously they won The Senate. They won the House and they maintained, you know, their stake in the House. I'm sorry, in the Senate. They won Senate, and they maintained their stake in the House as well. You take all of those things into account, and there's just no question that the Democratic Party is in dire straits right now. And so when you hear me pointing out some of the things that I pointed out, I'm not one of those guys, Bill, who believes that because you think differently than me. You're a racist. You're anti black.

[Bill O'Reilly]

No, you don't play. I've never heard you play that part.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't play that game.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Why do you think Carville gets so upset about this? What is it that you're doing that annoys him?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, you know this better than me because you're the veteran in politics over the last 50. 60 plus years. 50 years plus. I'm not gonna go the 60 route. Cause you're not that old. But here's the deal. In the end, when you look at a guy like James Carville, who came across as a bit truculent, to say the least, I think that, you know, first of all, he misquoted me. I did not say there was no talent in the Democratic Party. I said there was no one who was resonating. They did not have a voice. I happen to know Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland. He's a friend of mine. I mean, I like him a great, great deal. We've become friends. I have. I enjoyed my interview with Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania. I just finished interviewing a few minutes ago, Minority Leader of the house, Mr. Hakeem Jeffries. So it's not like the Democratic Party is devoid of talent. That's not what I said. But they are devoid of a voice. They are devoid of somebody who resonates on a national level. And I think James Carville took exception to that primarily because he forgot that he was the one saying it, too. Which is why on my show, when I clapped back at him, I played some clips of him saying the same damn thing that I said because he had been lamenting that. And I think that when you're young.

[Bill O'Reilly]

You ought to get Carville on your podcast, which is very successful.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm going on his.

[Bill O'Reilly]

I'm going on his. Yeah, good.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Bill O'Reilly]

There's a couple of things in play. Number one, there is no leader of the Democratic Party. Now, it'd be my first question. Carvel, who's the leader? Chuck Schumer. Come on. There's no leader. They don't have Anybody. Kamala resurfaced at the naacp, didn't really make a dent. So that it's wide open. Number two, Trump opened the gates for populist candidates. And if you ever decided to get into politics, that's what you would be, a populist candidate. You would be going right to the people and say, look, I feel for you and I'm going to, if you elect me, I'm going to try to solve some of your problems. That's what Trump did. And it's been very successful for Trump. But right now, the Democratic Party is in disarray and Carville knows that. But it just seems to be he.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Was insulting and not listening to him. That's where his real frustration comes from. And I'm not. And please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't listen to him. I think they should have listened to him. But I think that, as is the case in our society today, on a plethora of platforms and in industries where you've got youngsters on the come up and, and they sort of ease the elder statesman out of the mix because they want to run things themselves. I deal with that in sports, too, where you have an abundance of individuals who were qualified and they couldn't get a job because the youngsters were placed at the helm and they didn't want to bring somebody in more knowledgeable than them. Take into account, you know, your sports a little bit. Bill O'Reilly. Bill Belichick couldn't get an NFL job. The man has won eight Super bowl championships, two as a defensive coordinator, six as a head coach. And when he got let go by the New England Patriots, he, he couldn't get a job. He had to go back to college at the University of North Carolina to.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Get a head coach. Troll. They didn't want to get control.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know that. But what I'm saying is, what I'm saying is transitioning back to politics, you have people in positions of power within the Democratic establishment that clearly didn't want to listen to James Carville. So that could be a part of his frustration. But in the end, he came at the wrong person because I wasn't knocking him. I thought they should have listened to him. But when he clapped back at me, I, I'm like, wait a minute, you've been talking the same stuff that I've been saying. You must have forgot about that. Let me remind you. And that's about a story.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So I don't want to cut through it all. And no Democrat has The courage to say this. Joe Biden destroyed the party. He destroyed.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, I said that.

[Bill O'Reilly]

But you're not, you know, you're not in the political arena. There's nobody in Congress or working in the Democratic precincts, no governor, nobody. Wes Moore, your buddy, when you talk to him and you ask him, did Joe Biden destroy the Democratic Party, he'll say no or he won't answer the question. Joe Biden destroyed it. Cuz he's the second worst president in our history and it's not even close. I mean, you never beat James Buchanan because he let the Civil War happen. But Biden, if you read my message of the day on Billorilly.com, the guy, that's why Trump is, you know, bouncing up and down like, you know, a 18 year old on speed because he's trying to reverse all of this stuff in a, in that's hurting every American. But the Democrats won't acknowledge that. And they also won't acknowledge that woke culture has destroyed the fabric of the party. That's what the main thing is all about, right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

You and I have been, you're absolutely right. You and I have been on TV together and you know how I love to disagree with you, but when you're right, you're right, dammit, I gotta concede it. And you're right on the money with that, you know, and so when you take into account, first of all, Joe Biden was supposed to leave, he's supposed to be a transitional president and then was feeling himself when the midterms wasn't a red wave in 2022. So he decides to stay in office, basically betrays the party and then they gotta come up with some elaborate scheme to get him up out of there. That's what I firmly believe. And it turned out to backfire on them. And when you look at the actions Trump right now and people talk about him trying to undo so much that they have done, whether you like or dislike what Trump is doing, and there's plenty of people in the center and clearly on the left who do dislike what he is doing, it is no doubt he is trying to do exactly what he said he was going to do, which is also the antithesis of what Democrats.

[Bill O'Reilly]

At least he's going further.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He is going further, going to be.

[Bill O'Reilly]

What he expected him to prop up Putin. But as I wrote in my column, this is why he's propping up Putin. So number one, you would agree with me that Donald Trump's taken revenge on the American media, correct?

[Piers Morgan]

Yeah, no question. But I also think that it's been entirely predictable, given the way that the mainstream media in America has behaved in such an overtly partisan manner against him for eight years. And I've been criticizing them for eight years for doing it, pointing out that it's not the job of the media to take sides. I mean, some of them may be unashamedly partisan. Fine, then show your colors. It's the more insidious, secret partisan behavior of very liberal dominated newsrooms working at these supposedly impartial networks who've waged a kind of systematic activist campaign against Trump. And obviously, now he's got the chance, he's going to have some fun with them. But I would tell them to look at themselves very hard in the mirror and say, have we really not brought this on ourselves?

[Bill O'Reilly]

I work for CBS News. I work for ABC News. I mean, I know what the deal is now. It's crazy. Since Trump got into politics, then all of the barriers left and it was justified by a New York Times columnist who said, look, this guy's a danger to the union, so we're not going to have any rules anymore. We're going to try to destroy him. And once the New York Times put that posture out, then they all followed and they thought that they had them. They thought that Donald Trump was done and he rose like Dracula and now he's going after them. Do you feel that is beneath the President of the United States to wreak that kind of vengeance?

[Piers Morgan]

Well, I think. Look, I think Donald Trump is always going to do what Donald Trump wants to do. And people who've tried to get involved in changing his mind about exacting retribution in this kind of manner normally discover it's a bit pointless. You know, he's nearly 80 years old. He's a leopard who won't change his spots when it comes to that kind of thing. If you read his book the Art of a Deal, then it's all in there. Somebody punches you, punch them 10 times harder back is his mantra and always has been for 50 years. So he's not going to change now. Look, I do think it's probably a little bit of a waste of time for the President of the United States. But he's got so many more important things to worry about than going after the media. But what he's really doing, Bill, I think, is he's putting them back in their box. And he's also, I think, trying to focus their minds on. Why don't you just try in this term of office, unlike the first term, being a little Bit more fair minded, having some more conservative voices on your network, actually, not making them pariahs, not directing your audience to feel that everything that Donald Trump does is evil personified. And actually a lot of it might be quite good.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Now, when I was in London for the New York Jet, Minnesota Viking game in October, I pay close attention to the media in Great Britain and a lot of them want to interview me. I just did a big thing in Paris. I am stunned by the lack of knowledge that British journalists have about our system in America. They don't understand how it works. They don't know.

[Piers Morgan]

Yeah, I agree, I agree. Listen, I've had the pleasure and honor of working and living in America for 20 years now, so I have a much greater knowledge, I would say, than 98% of British journalists. And they've been very lazy, particularly, I think, in their treatment of Trump. You know, just taking a kind of very easy, simplistic narrative that everything he does is awful. And of course the Democrats are better people and a better party and of course they're going to keep winning. And that just hasn't been borne out by events. But the British people buy it meek and mild.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Now, the British people, I mean, got the BBC lined up to do exactly what the NBC News is doing here, the BBC does over there, right?

[Piers Morgan]

Yeah. But I would say the difference now, compared to 2016, for example, or indeed Trump's whole first term, was that I would say the vast majority of people in Britain had a pretty negative view of Trump in his first term, driven largely by the media from America and everyone taking their lead from that right across Britain, from north to south, east to west, there is a massively better, more positive feeling towards Trump from the public, from the people, not necessarily the media, but because I think they've looked at it, I'll tell you why, because we have a left wing socialist government now in this country. Everybody was sick and tired of the Conservatives. They were no good. The Conservative governments for 15 years, honestly a rat bag of very poor, incompetent leaders in the main, and inevitably they got eventually kicked out of office. But what happened next was not like in 97 when Tony Blair came in and did a lot of pretty good things actually, and was very, very popular. What happened here was it clearly very quickly became clear to people that the Labour Party had not had any great plan for improving the country. Their whole stance was going to be, the Conservative Party were terrible. They've driven the country into the ground. We're in terrible shape. And by the way, things are going to get worse. And their first actions were to punish financially pensioners and then to punish financially, farmers.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So the lefties.

[Piers Morgan]

Hang on, hang on.

[Stephen A. Smith]

This is.

[Piers Morgan]

This is ridiculous.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Right, so the lefties are not succeeding in Great Britain. So by transferral, Trump looks a little bit better across the pond. Would I have it?

[Piers Morgan]

Yeah. All right, that's it. And they look at him being very decisive and hitting the ground very hard and running with all these executive orders, and they're like, we'd love a bit of energy and dynamism over here, please.

[Bill O'Reilly]

All right, little action, right, in the House of Commons. Let's get some action going on.

[Dan Abrams]

To watch the full episodes of the no spin news, visit billoriley.com and sign.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Up to become a premium or concierge member.

[Dan Abrams]

That's billoriley.com sign up, sign up and start watching.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Today.