Fox sponsors as guilty as the rest

The media has certainly struck again. While I certainly do not condone sexual harassment, I also believe a crime must be reported before someone is put to the sword.

I have no doubt that Bill O'Reilly along with Fox News paid O'Reilly's accusers for their silence but that in no way should amount to guilt. If a woman (or man) is willing to take money to keep quiet then that is where the story should end. Otherwise the accuser has waved his/her right to cry foul for taking a bribe.

While you may argue it is a story that maybe true it should be made clear to the public it is not an admission of guilt and happens more often than reported. Unfortunately for publications like The New York Times the goal is whether it be Patrick Kane and the woman in Buffalo or Bill O'Reilly and an employee at Fox, they are not interested in the truth, only selling the news.

When Kane was accused of rape the media even in Chicago demanded he sit out until the matter was resolved, which could have taken years had the truth not come out that he was being set up. To this day Kane is booed at a number of rinks whenever he touches the puck. Had Kane or the Blackhawks chose to pay the woman's demands it may have gone away but the fact was Kane stood up and said he was innocent; and he was. However, it could have gone quite differently had not her own lawyer admitted issues were tainted.

As for O'Reilly, Fox and he chose to pay his accusers most likely because of the risk fighting the accusations would certainly create. Could he be guilty? Of course he could be, however, the fact they did pay to protect the station and O'Reilly does in no way make him guilty, or innocent. Now the public should demand a list of the sponsors who pulled their support be made available to the public. They are as guilty in my opinion as anyone else in the story.

Larry Eichman

Addison