December 18, 2001

8:53 AM

Geraldo caught lying about his exploits in Afghanistan. Rivera reported in a Dec. 6 piece that he (was) standing on the "hallowed ground" in Afghanistan where "friendly fire took so many of our, our men and the mujahedeen yesterday." (later) admitted that he was several hundred miles from the site.

It seemed awfully strange how Geraldo was always where "the action" was in a country that large. What do you think Fox will do about this? Should he be fired?
posted by revbrian (28 comments total)

Should he be fired? Yes.
Will he be fired? No.
This is the very kind of "journalist" that Fox likes. One that doesn't know the meaning of the word TRUTH. One that will lie on command. Think Hannity, O'Reilly etc.
posted by nofundy at 9:10 AM on December 18, 2001

This is obvious liberal spin by the Rather-led CBS News. I won't believe it until its reported by God or Bill O'Reilly (they ARE one and the same) - Fair & Balanced!
posted by owillis at 9:14 AM on December 18, 2001

His language and false reverance rankle more than his white lies. What a cornball!
posted by cell divide at 9:15 AM on December 18, 2001

I never understood why he was HIRED in the first place. I mean, it's GERALDO for christ's sake!
posted by aacheson at 9:16 AM on December 18, 2001

I love fox news... best news station out there... but when Geraldo comes on, I turn the channel!
posted by BlitzK at 9:22 AM on December 18, 2001

fox had better not fire geraldo if they know what's good for them -- don't they know he has a gun?!
posted by moz at 9:26 AM on December 18, 2001

On CNN yesterday (or the day before?), there was a Jeannie Moos piece about satellite bouncing. Getting a signal from the US to the other side of the world and back causes awkward pauses as the US anchors await the war correspondents' answers. (Also the cause of awkward head bobbing as the correspondents wait for their signals from the US.)

The average delay was 3-4 seconds. But Moos pointed out that Geraldo seemed to be "just next door" -- his bounce was only a second, and his response was almost immediate. She explained that he was only on a one-satellite bounce, while CNN correspondents were on a two-bouce.

Hmm...maybe she was trying to tell us something?
posted by jennak at 9:28 AM on December 18, 2001

He was hired because people watch him, pure and simple. If they didn't, he'd be carrying hod at some construction site.

TV news is mostly fiction anyway - why get upset? Just make sure that (a) you understand that it's mostly ficition, and (b) you get news from other sources as well as TV. Multiplicitous sourcing and critical interpretation are the key to getting yourself the best info possible. Which in the end is what it's all about.
posted by UncleFes at 9:28 AM on December 18, 2001

I for one am shocked - shocked - at Geraldo's uncharacteristic lack of journalistic integrity.
posted by thewittyname at 9:29 AM on December 18, 2001

Someone should hit that guy in the face with a chair.
posted by Samsonov14 at 9:33 AM on December 18, 2001

A problem with Geraldo is that he, like the lady who squints and is noted for her "signature glasses," become (or try to) more important than the story they are covering.
A similar thing happens at websites where some guy runs a URL for a star and has his name up big and the star's name in small type.
Fox tries awfully hard to be sexy and they are compared to the sluggish and soft-keyed people (Lou Dobbs et al) at CNN, but you get the news at CNN and not the imposition of some overpaid "peresonality" who seems to suggest that the Major Event Being Covered is merely an event to expose The Reporter At The Scene.
posted by Postroad at 10:14 AM on December 18, 2001

Are we sure this isn't like the "billionaire balloons around the world" episode from News Radio a few years back?
posted by mikel at 11:03 AM on December 18, 2001

When is he going to open Osama's vault? I heard it was filled with booty.

(Samsonov14 beat me to my first joke)
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 11:10 AM on December 18, 2001

In an interview on Tuesday, Rivera said he had confused the Kandahar deaths with another "friendly fire" incident that cost several Afghan lives in Tora Bora. But, according to the Sun, Pentagon information shows the Tora Bora incident occurred at least three days after Rivera's Dec. 6 report

I recall Tina Fey asking on SNL's Weekend Update if she should feel conflicted as a journalist because she'd be happy if Geraldo died out there. Wouldn't be much of a loss. I'm suprised he still has any currency in the news reader business.
posted by eyeballkid at 11:15 AM on December 18, 2001

Hi read Geraldo described as "...having to be the bride at every wedding..."

That sounds about right.
posted by daragh at 11:17 AM on December 18, 2001

Geraldo's got a gun...
The whole world's come undone.
posted by DragonBoy at 11:20 AM on December 18, 2001

Someone should hit that guy in the face with a chair.

Thank you, samsonov14, now I can't stop laughing.
posted by witchstone at 11:28 AM on December 18, 2001

Fair & Balanced

You're talking about the False News Channel?

When you go out of your way to proclaim that you're "fair" or "balanced", you're obviously not.

Gee, I can't believe that Fox would have gross sensationalism or a lying talking head on their channel.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 11:44 AM on December 18, 2001

Where does one go after having been fired from Fox? Is there anything lower?
posted by ratbastard at 1:29 PM on December 18, 2001

When you go out of your way to proclaim that you're "fair" or "balanced", you're obviously not.

Why's that? Please explain.

I like Fox News, and feel that they are 'Fair and Balanced' by showing bother sides of an issue, not just the liberal approach that CNN takes.

Regardless, Geraldo needs to go...which may be why Fox sent him there!
posted by Sal Amander at 1:32 PM on December 18, 2001

...Everybody run
The TV drama queen has got a gun...

I saw on an expatriate British weblog where this guy's mother saw a bit of Geraldo on Sky News. She thought it was a parody.

That's the thing about Jerry Rivers, though -- he's so long ago infused into his TV persona that he's way beyond self-parody. He brought the James Tiberius Kirk dramatic pause to news reporting.
posted by dhartung at 1:35 PM on December 18, 2001

What's left after Fox? Court TV, which has "an afternoon hour-long talk show featuring former Fox News Channel personality Catherine Crier...and has roped in A-list guests like Jerry Springer, Susan Sarandon and Sen. Orrin Hatch."
posted by Carol Anne at 1:38 PM on December 18, 2001

Where does one go after having been fired from Fox? Is there anything lower?


Crack Whore's Assistant
posted by Dirjy at 9:41 PM on December 18, 2001

I like Fox News, and feel that they are 'Fair and Balanced' by showing bother sides of an issue, not just the liberal approach that CNN takes.

I agree with you.

Fox shows the Republican side and the Conservative side.

Dirjy is a Norm fan. Cool.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 10:17 PM on December 18, 2001

If Fox News (We Distort; You Decide) really cared about ratings, they'd hire Jerry Springer.

Geraldo is such a washed-up has been. What people really want to see is trailer trash who have sex with their cousins!
posted by zeb vance at 10:59 PM on December 18, 2001

Even the Washington Times is looking askance at Geraldo these days!
Mr. Rivera has not cried on camera yet, as CBS' Dan Rather did back in September. But he has carried a pistol, rolled in the sand, sported a suede bush hat and offered his portrayal of Geraldo as Hemingway, of he-man reportage, rife with guts, glory and meaningful pauses. Even his own cameraman (cameramen, who can't fake anything, are the real captains of derring-do) said, "They don't make a helmet big enough for his head."
posted by Carol Anne at 8:40 AM on December 19, 2001

It's ironic that, for all the hue and cry about how "conservative" Fox News supposedly is, people forget that Rivera is one of the most unbashed liberals on TV and, before his Fox debut, made his living mostly as a Clinton sycophant.

I can't imagine a time when the Washington Times would have looked anything BUT askance at him.
posted by mikewas at 9:20 PM on December 19, 2001

But wait, there's more: Rivera offers to resign from Fox news if a panel of media anlysts finds he behaved unethically, and claims his error was an "honest mistake". And that's just the beginning of the charade:

Sun writer David Folkenflik "has slandered a journalist who is an honest person and has contributed arguably much more to American society than he has," Rivera says. "This cannot stand. He has impugned my honor. It is as if he slapped me in the face and challenged me to a duel. He is going to regret this story for the rest of his career."
posted by mattpfeff at 9:10 PM on December 24, 2001