Only days before he was to begin his new job as a war correspondent in Afghanistan for the Fox news network, television journalist Geraldo Rivera spoke to Yale students about how he was changed by the Sept. 11 tragedy. Speaking at a Calhoun College master's tea, Rivera told his audience that he wanted to be involved "in the process of retribution and justice" for those involved in the terrorist attacks.

Geraldo Rivera tells students of his new journalistic 'calling'

Describing the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the United States as "the worst single crime in human history," television talk show host Geraldo Rivera told a Calhoun College audience that the tragedy has resulted in a dramatic "personal catharsis" for him and a new "calling": to keep the "barbaric" act at the forefront of Americans' minds so that they never forget the fear and anger they felt in its wake. Rivera spoke to a student audience at a master's tea on Nov. 14, just four days before leaving for Afghanistan to begin his new job as a war correspondent for the Fox cable news network. After the Sept. 11 tragedy, Rivera said, he told his bosses at NBC, "I've got to get over there," referring to Afghanistan. He proposed that he begin reporting on the topic "Why Do They Hate Us?" -- exploring anti-American sentiment in the Middle East. Although his bosses agreed to the idea, Rivera said, they told him he would have to cover the story from New York, so that he could continue to anchor his highly rated CNBC news talk show "Rivera Live." Instead, Rivera quit his job and approached Fox News with his proposal. That network hired him to report from Afghanistan. "I just couldn't stay in the studio anymore," Rivera told his audience. Rivera lamented the loss of many of his friends and neighbors in the Sept. 11 attack, which he said left him with feelings of "rage, frustration, real lust for revenge and a quest for justice -- in that order. "I felt frustrated by my inability to be personally involved in the process of retribution and justice," he continued. His new job, the journalist said, will allow him to chronicle the "pursuit of a mass murderer" (Osama bin Laden) and the war against the Taliban regime. Comparing the Taliban to accomplices "who drive the getaway car" in a gun murder, he added, "Now we have to get the shooter." Unless Americans keep their anger over the tragedy alive, Rivera contended, terrorist attacks against the nation will happen "over and over again." He said he agreed with President Bush's assessment that "civilization is at stake" in the war against terrorism, and asserted that about one-quarter of Muslims in the world today share a deep hatred for the United States. "I think we face the potential destruction of civilization," he stated. "Our open society only exists if there is a presumption of law and order. The terrorist belies that assumption. The terrorist can, with relatively little investment, unhinge all our plans for college and the movies and the mall" and other future plans and dreams, he said. The talk show host praised New Yorkers' response to the attack, saying, "If the sky turned pink and roaches were as big as rabbits, we'd adapt. "But I don't want us to adapt to this," he continued. "I want us to be angry over what happened and to still feel that rage." The journalist, who has won numerous awards for his investigative reporting, also recounted in his talk some of the more difficult moments of his career, including his firing from ABC in 1985 over a censorship dispute after a 15-year career with the network, and an 11-year career as a daytime talk-show host at a time when competition with other talk shows forced each to become "more burlesque" to keep up their ratings. Admitting that he has "tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve" as a journalist, he also told his audience that objectivity in news reporting is a farce. "Personal involvement and advocacy journalism are not bad things, as long as they are truthful," he said. Asked if news reporters were being too emotional in their reporting of the Sept. 11 tragedy, Rivera responded, "Yes, but the worse thing is a reporter becoming insincerely emotional." Rivera told his audience that since Sept. 11 he is more patriotic than he has ever been in his life. He quoted radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow, noted for his reporting on World II, the Holocaust and the McCarthy era, who said, "On some stories, there is not another side." "Osama bin Laden killed my friends and neighbors," Rivera said. "I will cheer on the people who bring him to justice or kill him." -- By Susan Gonzalez T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Center gets $12.5 million to study learning disabilities University-Union Negotiations: A Letter from the President Scientists win 'ultimate prize' in condensed matter physics Diary entries recall private life, career of Nöel Coward New center is dedicated to research on nicotine addiction and its treatment Studies will investigate ways to help smokers kick their habit IN FOCUS: Minority International Research Training Support helps students take on international health challenges Scientists unravel structure of protein complex that helps cells move Works by Dutch artists reveal 'Holland of the Imagination' Geraldo Rivera tells students of his new journalistic 'calling' Conference celebrates seven decades of music scholarship Scholars to discuss interrelationship of 'Man and Beast' at symposium 'Women's Table' gives female faculty opportunities to share their work Dances of Japan Edith Wharton biographer to explore her subject's 'French Ways' Concert to feature works written in wake of tragedy Dean's talk to look at 'Families and Chronic Illness' Campus Notes Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News|Bulletin Board Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page