Katrina: Reactions To Geraldo

Some e-mailer responses to Geraldo Rivera‘s emotional Friday night report:

> “It’s easy to take cheap shots at Geraldo — from his earliest years he has believed in advocacy,” one of his former senior producers writes. “But to claim he is not a reporter makes a fool of the observer. Does he showboat? Sure? When he did his CNBC talk show and covered crime stories like the OJ killings, was his work superb? Yes. There’s plenty of room for a Geraldo in a business filled with botheads.”

> “Yes, I understand about professionalism but they are telling it like it is!!!! It is hell down there and they need let pepole down there what is and is not being done.”

> “Geraldo is a complete hack. What a drama queen. Using this situation to exploit is beyond sick!”

> “Geraldo and Shep did a public service for broadcast journalism last night — at least they are THERE and they are passionate about what they see — which is far more than your 52” television will allow. And I am not a Geraldo fan at all, yet he was trying to express what he was seeing and one imagines that it’s too terrible for words. Emotion will have to do – ‘professionalism’ hasn’t conveyed the enormity of the situation. Perhaps this will.”

> “It’s refreshing to see reporters, anchors, talk show celeb’s, whatever experiencing the real world of Katrina’s destruction. I’m no fan of FOX, but kudos to Geraldo and Shep for spitting in the face of O’Reilly, Hannity, Colmes and all the other elite that are appearing as just that – elite and disingenuous ‘reporting’ from their comfortable, million dollar studios.”

> “Geraldo deserves the Emmy for best dramatic performance.”