Sitting at the bar in Paolo’s Restaurant at 92nd Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan Saturday afternoon, December 10th, I was shocked by the tone the conversation with my old ABC News colleague Lowell Bergman had taken. He was heading to London and had urgently requested that we get together before his afternoon flight from JFK.
Bergman
I remembered Lowell as a brave, competent, but hugely self-righteous old school investigative reporter, who famously produced the Mike Wallace expose of the major tobacco companies for ’60 Minutes.’ Al Pacino played him in the movie version of the saga, ‘The Insider.’
Although I hadn’t seen the now 60-year old veteran reporter since he parted ways with ABC back in 1982, I recognized him immediately. …
He explained that his investigative reporting program at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, in association with reporters from ProPublica are probing our corporate parent, News Corp’s U.S. properties; specifically the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.
The expose is due to run on PBS’ ‘Frontline,’ “in the next few months,” he told me in an ominous tone. …
When I told him I was still not interested, and that I was going to report everything he had said to my superiors, his frustrated tone turned threatening, “I’ve got all these journalism students at Berkeley straining at the bit to contact every reporter working for Fox News.”
Now glaring back at the indefatigable Mr. Bergman, I asked, “Are you threatening me?” which he denied, then I said, “Let me get this straight. You are the most left-wing reporter in television news, a Berkley professor no less, and you’re working with ProPublica, the most hard-left reporters’ group in the business, and you’re going to air your documentary on Public Television, and you expect me to convince my colleagues at Fox News that you’re going to give us a fair-shake? Give me a break.”
The confrontation over, he gave me his card. We shook hands, and he went off to London to complete the British side of his tax-payer subsidized smack-down. That was exactly a month ago. Today a van from PBS’ “Frontline” is parked outside our office. I hope they’re not hacking my phone.
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57 Comments
If you work for Fox News or any entity associated with News Corp …you'll be a target, regardless of past employment or past friendships.
That was then, this is now where PBS, Berkley or Pro Publica is concerned.
And with the help of taxpayer $$$$$….why, this is one example of 'Lefty Heaven', IMHO.
Berkeley Prof Assigns Students To Dig Up FOX News Dirt
…what the lunatic-left calls a "fair and balanced" assignment.
…The faculty lounges of many American universities, including Berkeley, are cells of Marxist subversives and a direct threat to Liberty…
Well dang Geraldo, don't tell me that this is news to you? No one should be shocked that a left-wing journalist/professor would use his students and taxpayer funds to try to damage news services that aren't left-leaning enough for the professor.
Why waste time and money investigating Fast and Furious, Solyndra, or why Holder dropped charges against the New Black Panther Party, when there are political brownie points to make by going after FNC, the WSJ and the NY Post? Why investigate how the lefty-media refused to do their job and vet Obama (and even covered up for him) before he became President, when you can use your students and your position to attack ideological enemies?
The only thing about this that surprises me is that Geraldo was "shocked" that his old colleague was doing this (I'm no fan of Geraldo, but I didn't think he was that dense); well, that and I'm a bit surprised that Geraldo didn't agree to help Bergman.
After they do this, perhaps he can have them research what the term "Brown Shirts" means historically.
Make sure your kids get to college,
got to have that degree or you may have to get your hands dirty at work.
Wake Up America !
It's similar to busting some guy for taking a quick sneak-peek at your pretty girlfriend. You can interpret it in two diametrically-opposed ways: Fox News should be flattered at all the attention.
Why don't these 'investigative journalism" students devote their efforts to bringing Barack Obama's shadowy past into the light of day?
How about those students digging up dirt on these slimey professors ?
Why doesn't FOX?
Yes, I am also waiting for the "Blobama Diaries."
to be fair, where would the challenge be in having kids dig up garbage on the alphabet networks?
Why don't leftists like to comb their hair? Too busy thinking smart things or just going for the Einstein look?
If Geraldo wanted to point Bergman towards a part of News Corp. peddling hateful propaganda, he could have sent the Berkeley crew down to Hollywood to investigate "Glee".
Where will these sad journalism majors work when they graduate (after six or seven years)? Pravda is defunct. Another clown in the same Leftist mode is John Larson, former West Coast Anchor of NBC Dateline.
These leftists need to leave Foxnews alone. After all, you don't see right wing dingbats like James O'Keefe going after National Public Radio, do you?
They've got students doing their dirty work, and paying through the nose (with their parent's money) for the opportunity. Brilliant.
And by the way, this highfalutin professor is sounding more like a common day union thug.
I second that!
Bottom line, no news orgainzation has the stones to go there….
Don't hold your breath…
That is a much harder assignment that finding dirt at MSNBC,NYT,LAT or any of a hundred other outlets. These students will have to dig, dig,dig. When they find nothing, they will make up a story, get their A and go on to a career at McDonalds.
O'Keefe going out on his own, with his own funds or those he is able to raise, and doing what he does.
Journalism students, attending a public university, choosing to do this or fail a class.
Yep, you're right. They're the exact same thing.
Can't wait for the disinformation, the biased slant, and vitriol his students come up with on frontline. Then when the integrity of the information is questioned and proven corrupt, I want a follow up to this kook's story with him under the lights being questioned. Hopefully by Bill O or Geraldo.
What I don't see…is video tape of NewsCorp breaking the law?
O'keefe actually had video tape of a NPR exec soliciting money from what he thought was the Muslim Brotherhood and then was going to hide the donation.
That's on tape. That's illegal….and you're an idiot.
Rev Wright on the downlow. I am sure blobama is there takin it like a man.
There is a reason they call it "Berserk-ly". The students do what they want and the teachers are just along for the paycheck. This is what your tax dollars go towards, people like this. Well, either they'll get their funding cut or they'll fall into the sea, either way it's no big loss.
Andrew, sometime ago you indicated a new division of the BIGS would involve Big Academia………….when is it going to launch……………..seems the time is nigh at hand.
Geraldo, are you reading this? Of course you are, you ego-maniac.
Bergman approached you because he considers you a weak spot on the FOX underbelly. He did this in desperation, because he's having a hard time coming up with anything credible. This is why he got nasty, because he didn't get anything. Desperate. He may even be feeding you some disinformation, like the Frontline expose.
Even though he didn't get anything from you (did he?), he still considers you a weak spot, hence the van parked outside your office.
He's declared war. Make the first strike, put him on the defensive. Go after him!
BTW, you really are getting old. Back in the day, you would have decked him.
…unless they're real good liars. In which case they can go to work for the New York Times.
I stand corrected. Thank you.
2012 and still flailin'
Where's the challange to that?
Geraldo exposed this? Wow. How far left is he?
Then again, there was that threat. Always bad to threaten people. "Never do someone a /small/ injury."
Exactly, sisty.
I think every once in awhile, Jerry Rivers feels the need to build up some "objective journo" cred, so he'll pull something like this, and everyone, including conservatives, just groans.
Like a few weeks ago, when he was on O'Reilly, and actually said, "That's why I'm a Republican."
Everyone in the room laughed.
I'd bet anything that in actuality, he just has some grudge against Bergman.
See Geraldo, now you are the target. See how the liberals are… oh yea thats right you are liberal too. How does it feel? Hows that hopey changey thing working for ya? Kinda different when you are the victim of lefties isnt it?
One more reason no conservative should ever, ever donate money to the NPR/PBS machine, no matter how much you may enjoy Celtic Woman or covet that coffee mug.
I am a bit suspicious of his article. I get that niggling feeling that he's trying to cover for something that is not apparent. One scenario I envisioned is that he willingly or accidentally blurted out some things that he shouldn't have. Perhaps this article is a preemptive strike to cover his ass or just to give him deniability.
We'll see.
O'Keefe has a new investigative number, this one on the New Hampshire election: He and a crew of concealed-camera-carriers went into various election polling places and asked if they had a ballot for (insert name of deceased NH voter); assured that, "yes, here is your ballot," the investigator(s) responded, "Oh, I left my ID in the car." But the "Live Free or Die" poll worker tried to give (them) the ballot, telling them NH state law does not allow them to request ID. They didn't actually vote, of course, and none of them accepted the proffered ballots.
I don't see where you have to jump down Geraldo's throat because he shares with us a personal encounter with the far left. Let's tone down your indignation at the indignation a bit. Sheesh.
In the Breitbart world, evidence that one dipsh%t can commit a crime is proof of an overreaching conspiracy to commit that crime on a massive scale
Proving that the only "journalist" dumber than James O'Keefe is James O'Keefe.
Guess he's never of 'be careful what you ask for'.
And if you work at Fox or any entity associate with News Corp, you will continue to get my business. Please continue the work as a voice of reason along with sites like Breitbart.com.
Geraldo is a left-wing twit acting surprised that his far-left acquaintance would use his position as an educator, college students and taxpayer money to attack FNC, the WSJ and the NY Post. I'm not sure if he's actually stupid enough to be surprised, or if he is just worried that the actions of Bergman and his students might affect him getting a paycheck. As I wrote, I'm more surprised that Geraldo didn't sell out FNC.
How about you get a life and a sense of humor. Sheesh indeed!
Here's the dirt on Fox News:
It's 7% owned by the Saudis and lets Alan Colmes collect a paycheck.
Well, some of these lesser students do need the remedial work.
I have a life – and a sense of humor, which you purportedly do not. I am sure I am just as conservative and outraged at attacks on Fox as you are, but I certainly don't go around calling their journalists names like an ill-tempered school boy. Your post looks like anything I could find on the Huff Post or any other left wing rag – and I would like to think my fellow conservatives could show a bit more decorum than you can apparently muster.
It's part of their lack-of-personal-hygiene way-of-life…
If the guy had any ETHICS, he'd assign his class to find problems in the televised media… not just FOX NEWS!!!
He's a Socialist, using his students as his own little research group and The STUDENTS ARE PAYING FOR IT!!!
PITIFUL!!!
Son of Ward Churchill needs to collect dirt on CNN & MSNBC too, then compare the piles.
Holy crap….Berkley…..absolutely no street creds there, and Bergman, hell, the only reason he hung his hat there was to get his talons on incoming freshmen BOYS!
Intelligence is certainly not one of Lowell Bergman's assets! What a fool. What a stupid person.
UC Berkeley used to be a premier school. Today UC Berkeley is dominated by pathetic loonie left dummies.
People on the left actually believe they are intelligent and do not even realize everyone else is actually laughing at them!
First off I didn't question your conservative credentials, but stating that my post looks like something found of Huffpo or some other left-wing site certainly sounds like you're questioning mine. It's an interesting tactic that I've come across before that goes along the line that if my posts fail to meet some arbitrary criteria of yours, then I'm obviously not conservative enough for your liking. The thing is, I don't know you and so, I don't care if you dislike my posts.
Secondly obviously you do not have a sense of humor or else you would be able to recognize the tenor that runs through my post as intended humor; instead you see what you characterize as indignity. Finally if you don't like my posts then feel free to ignore them. No one tells me what I may or may not post here, save for the people who administer the site and thus have control over the content.
Does anyone else wonder if Rivera may be worried about what they found on him and is making a preemptive first strike?
LOL
Back-when-ah- wuz-a-kid, colleges offered courses that had "ethics" in the name. Today, it's more like "How to Avoid Ethics".
So, you criticize the rest of the news media for trying to claim made up incidents of racism at Tea Party demonstrations make everyone who supports the Tea Party a racist?
How many ACORN employees have been convicted of voter fraud?
I forget.
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