The media lives for stories that grab attention and captivate the minds of the viewers. Resulting in fame and admiration for the source that found such a intriguing tale. Obtaining stories that do such things aren't easy to come by. The media may resort to stretching the truth to create a more noteworthy story. Some even succumb to fabricating enticing stories and claim it as truth for ones own gain. O'Reilly and his stories from El Salvador are a prime example of fabrication in action.
"O'Reilly has claimed repeatedly that he witnessed the execution of nuns while reporting in 1981 on the civil war in El Salvador, an apparent fabrication that is at odds with both history and what O'Reilly himself has said about arriving in the country after the event took place". O'Reilly continues to talk about his time in El Salvador as a CBS correspondent today. He has said multiple times that he actually saw the churchwomen being executed. In 2005 he said, "I've seen guys gun down nuns in El Salvador," and in 2012 he again discussed how "[he] was in El Salvador and [he] saw nuns get shot in the back of the head". However, if he was telling the truth of his whereabouts during the time of the civil war in El Salvador, it is not possible that he actually witnessed the murder of these nuns. In his book The No Spin Zone, "O'Reilly details a reporting assignment in which he arrived...shortly after it had been wiped out by the rebels and witnessed carnage that was obviously recent," but he never discusses him seeing anyone being killed, much less the nuns. "O'Reilly even admitted he had arrived in El Salvador right after the killings during an interview... in 2009". So why would he continue to change his story after admitting he was not present during the execution?
O'Reilly gained fame for covering the civil war in El Salvador. His fame and reputation started from a story he fabricated about witnessing the murder of nuns, something that captivated the minds of viewers during that time. What could be more credible and intriguing than an eyewitness account? However, he continues to switch his story from time to time and it is drawing attention. He "exaggerated his claims of being in a "combat situation" during the Falklands War". He could lose his credibility if the fabrication of his accounts are revealed on a wider scale. He could lose everything he has worked for. Would his white lie be worth it?
Articles Cited:
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/02/25/another-fabrication-oreilly-never-witnessed-the/202667)
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