FOX News Responds with a Message from Ailes (BARF)

Email from FOXNews ^ | 11-02-2001 | ME

[N. Theknow]

On November 1st, Fox News Channel signed Geraldo Rivera to be a war correspondent. Upon hearing this news, many of you sent e-mails expressing your concern. As a result, Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO of the Fox News Channel, drafted this response:

Dear Viewer:

Thank you for your email. Frankly, we've been expecting some negative reaction to Geraldo from some of our viewers. He has had a long and controversial career and I disagree with many of the things he has said in his life. However, I don't hire only people who agree with me. Geraldo is being hired as a war correspondent. He has been in action in Bosnia and covered the drug wars in South America. He is fearless and has a record of doing exemplary work on issues such as mental health, drugs, and war, just to name a few.

Geraldo, by his own admission, has made mistakes in his career. But at his core, he is a solid journalist. Frankly, he could have made millions of dollars more by staying in his safe NBC contract, but he elected to go in harms way to cover the biggest story of our time. I encourage you to read his commentary as to why he chose to leave NBC at this link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,37942,00.html. He, like many of us, has been changed by the events of September 11th. That doesn't mean we will all agree on every issue, but it does mean that Fox News Channel is truly committed to fair and balanced news. I have great confidence in the American people to make up their own minds if they hear all the facts.

I'm not sure if I will be able to convince people whose minds are made up, but while very opinionated, you strike me as someone who may be open to at least a wait-and-see attitude. I appreciate your opinion. I hope you will read Geraldo's comments and give this thoughtful consideration. Please keep watching the Fox News Channel even if you don't agree with all 168 hours a week. We do our best, we are making a difference, and we are #1.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Roger Ailes

[N. Theknow]

This was in response to my earlier email to them:

-----Original Message-----
From: Moi aka Me
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 3:10 PM
To: comments@foxnews.com
Subject: Jerry Rivers?

I stopped watching FOXNEWS and I stopped my subscription to your emails when you hired Paula Zahn.
I have gradually been coming back since Zahn was fired and now I hear that Roger Ailes has hired Whorealdo Rivera.
If this is true, goodbye again!
Has Roger Ailes been taking stupid pills or what?
What a pathetic excuse for a "news" reporter.

My Reply to their response.

You got to be number one by dancing with the date that brought you to the dance.
Don't blame your former viewers when midnight strikes and all you got is fond memories of what once was.

I have seen all of Whorealdo I care to see! Or that there is to see!

Apologies if someone has already posted their "canned" response "dissing" the Fox Faithful.

[Diddle E. Squat]

What he said:Geraldo, by his own admission, has made mistakes in his career. But at his core, he is a solid journalist.

What he should have said: "...has made mistakes in his career, which makes him a solid journalist."

[RnMomof7]

Geraldo, by his own admission, has made mistakes in his career. But at his core, he is a solid journalist.

LOL LOL LOL ..The man is a fool and will slant any news from the front to the left..Bye bye Roger..I will watch O'Reilly..other than that I may as well tottle back to CNN where they are TRYING to move to the right!

[Constitution Day]

"He is fearless and has a record of doing exemplary work on issues such as mental health, drugs, and war, just to name a few."

Someone more perceptive than me once said "there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity".

[discostu]

I think we should give Ailes the benefit of the doubt for a few reasons:
1 - Fox's claim is "fair and balanced", having been intelligent enough to give up on the ellusive and unrealistic idea of impartial journalism Fox instead seeks to even uot their partiallity, getting voices from both side.
2 - Paula Zahn's term with Fox was a good example of this, much as I hated her she made a good balance with O'Reilly.
3 - Before the ego inflation and name change Jerry Rivers was a well respected and quite capable investigative journalist, there's alway the possibility that having sunk as low as he has in recent years he's ready to go back to earning a living.
4 - Worst case scenario Jerry covers the wrong fire fight and the world breathes a sigh of relief.
5 - And finally, I'd much rather have Jerry working someplace like Fox that won't let him spew forth unchallenged than the places he has been working.

[VaBthang4]

I'll take a wait and see approach...

If he is a repentant Liberali then by all means...welcome aboard.

If he skirts issues or fires a few rounds across the bow in order to let Liberalis off the hook....then I can just turn him off.

[VaBthang4]

LOL

[teletech]

I respect Roger Ailes for his views, but I fear he will live to regret hiring Whorealdo. As to his comment that Whorealdo has changed since Sept.11, I say liberals NEVER change their stripes!

[snorkeler]

I'm happy with this. Have you watched FOX's war coverage? They have some poor smuck stuck in a trench and some guy stuck on a roof top. No news value in most of what either have to say. Jerry will get out and about...

[dep]

i just hope that geraldo has gotten over the nose candy problem that got him bounced from abc.

dep

[Steven W.]

I hate Whorealdo for what he did during impeachment. However, since 9/11 he's been pretty good. Closes each show ALWAYS with live shot of WTC and doesn't shy away from calling terrorists "bastards", etc.. Much better to get him out in the field than leaving it to CNN reporters taking their daily Taliban road trips.

[Samizdat]

Ailes is already on my dog poop list for not delving into the Vince Foster death. When Fox first went on the air, Rita Cosby was on it pretty good. Had Patrick Knowlton and John Clarke on. Then nothing. Roger and his kids have been on my list ever since so I already have a jaundiced view of them. So, this does it. Whoraldo is another one who has even gone so far as to say nobody who matters thinks it was a murder. What an ass. Anybody who winks at murder for political gain by a SITTING PRESIDENT no less, has $hitt for morals. So goodbye Fox.

[Dog Gone]

I'll give him a shot. If nothing else, this will spice things up. If he reverts to his Clinton-hugging form, I'm sure we'll have some fun threads posted and Ailes will hear about it.

[sinkspur]

Have you watched FOX's war coverage? They have some poor smuck stuck in a trench and some guy stuck on a roof top. No news value in most of what either have to say. Jerry will get out and about...

No wonder CNN let Steve Harrigan go; he's pretty sad to have to watch and listen to.

Rivera likes this kind of stuff and does a credible job in his field assignments.

Who are these people who are screaming about FOX going to watch? CNN? MSNBC?

Just go off in a corner and sulk?

[ChowChowFace]

Geraldo was a fine investigative reporter early in his career. Let's hope he returns to that instead of the biased sensationalism that has marked his later career.

[summer]

Others may just give him "a shot" too -- as I think he will be scared sh*tless once he gets to Afghanistan! :)

[umbra]

Rodger Ailes is a genius, send Whorealdo to the front lines in Kabul...idiot reporter acts stupid loses his limbs etc.

Ratings for FOX News go through the roof relpaying footage of Jerry maiming, all while giving more proof of 'fair and balanced.'

[Texas2step]

Two points:

First, it's a move FOX has to make. They are getting eaten alive on the war coverage by both CNN and MSNBC. If you're looking for actual coverage (slanted though it may be) of what is happening in Asia, you will rarely catch it on FOX.

On FOX, you get a whole slate of "talking heads" spewing forth opinions and other wisdom. At least CNN and MSNBC report some of the activity in Asia. Yes, it's slanted, but they go through much more about what is going on than FOX does.

Second, Rivera used to be a decent reporter. Actually, fairly good reporter. When he was reporting and not a talk show host. He is hawkish, and wants the U.S. to kick butt and take names. I say let's let him, and in an environment that will draw more attention to what is happening in Asia.

Hopefully this will dramatically improve the war coverage by FOX. It sure couldn't hurt. I hope so, anyway.

[Curly007]

If he is a repentant Liberali then by all means...welcome aboard.

The guy is soooooo irrational in his analysis of events, it's hard to hope for this much.
He is a very sick liberal...and Clinton's close friend!

[Austim]

First, it's a move FOX has to make. They are getting eaten alive on the war coverage by both CNN and MSNBC.

The bottom line is that people will tune into Fox News to hear details of what Bill & Monica did in the Oval Office and to hear gossip about the Gary Condit's sex life. However, when it comes to the Big story such as this WAR the people will turn to CNN, MSNBC, CBS etc. The ratings prove that and Fox's ratings are in the toilet. Fox's coverage of the War is only slightly more comprehensive than People Magazine or the National Inquirer