“You need to fire Geraldo!”
At Fox News, when viewers sent emails, we’d count and categorize them. “Fire Geraldo” often topped the day’s tally. Like Fox, he evoked strong reactions.
Now that he’s left the network, I thought I’d share a bit about my experience with him.
His journey in journalism started many years before Fox, and he quickly found success. Back in 1972, his shocking expose of mentally disabled children at New York’s Willowbrook State School led not only to government action but a benefit concert with John Lennon. It was real journalism, combined with both flamboyance and concern.
Then came 1986, and the live opening of Al Capone’s vault—a hyped event that should've marked the end of his career when it unveiled nothing but dirt and empty bottles. But Geraldo, being Geraldo, transformed it into a springboard that propelled him into the national limelight.
He joined us at Fox shortly after the atrocities of 9/11. Walking away from his comfy position at CNBC where he hosted his own show, Geraldo wanted to report on the front lines of America’s new war in Afghanistan.
Of course, it wasn’t long before he brought controversy, and later managed to get expelled by the military for sketching a crude battle map in the sand.
Facts weren’t always Geraldo’s forte, and he improvised in a way that made some Fox News executives agree with those incoming emails. Some of the accountants undoubtedly also agreed, given his similar attitude towards extravagant expense reports.
But Geraldo, and his brother/producer Craig, understood something fundamental about our industry – that television news is visual, and to capture the audience, you need to be entertaining. He was a compelling and memorable presence on screen.
Take his coverage of the California wildfires. Other reporters were cordoned off by police lines, content to report with the smoke miles behind them, but not Geraldo. He'd talk his way past the barricades and broadcast from smoldering neighborhoods. The other reporters looked pretty much the same … and then there was Geraldo reporting from Dante’s Inferno.
Passion was Geraldo's trademark, both on-air and off.
His five marriages couldn’t have been inexpensive. And his fiery debates could cross lines. His threat to spit on Michelle Malkin, for instance, was definitely out of bounds, particularly for a man in his 60s who should know better. But he was also a man of apologies, expressing regret for this and other contentious incidents throughout his career.
Behind the scenes, however, Geraldo was more than just bluster and bravado. I witnessed a man who engaged with everyone, from dinner servers to the elite, with the same level of respect and interest. He made it a point to learn the names of Fox News executives, sure, but also the names of the production assistants and crew who likely couldn’t advance his career.
Geraldo once told me that his aim was to do good in life, and to get rich doing it.
His rollercoaster career ride reminds us of the power of passion, and the necessity of spectacle in an industry that thrives on engaging narratives—even when they color outside the lines.
Too bad he didnt use his passion for Real issues on The 5 etc
U cant reason with him, love his bravado for the story, Too emotional
Thus Im glad hes gone from FNC
Next Juan Williams