Geraldo Rivera identifies as an affirmative action beneficiary.
Geraldo Rivera Bids Farewell to Fox News
Geraldo Rivera, the renowned journalist and former “correspondent at large” for Fox News, bid farewell to the network in his last segment on Friday. This comes after his departure from The Five earlier this month, where he served as the left-leaning host following Juan Williams’s exit in 2021. Rivera, who had been with Fox News for an impressive 23 years, attributed his start in the industry to affirmative action.
“Thank you for the opportunity, because affirmative action has just been voted down by the Supreme Court of the United States in a very controversial decision that will impact many people of color. I was a product of affirmative action over half a century ago,” Rivera explained to his fellow Fox News anchors, who donned mustaches to match his own at the time.
Reflecting on the state of diversity in journalism, Rivera shared his experiences from the late 1960s when there were no black or Hispanic reporters, nor any women in the local news teams in New York. He emphasized how shocking this lack of representation was at the time.
“When the Ford Foundation and Columbia Journalism School got together to integrate the local news teams in New York, there were no black reporters, no Hispanic reporters, no women, and it was shocking. That was as late as 1968, ’69,” Rivera recalled.
Prior to his career in journalism, Rivera worked as a lawyer representing Puerto Rican activists in New York’s Spanish Harlem neighborhood. It was during this time that he caught the attention of Columbia University, which ultimately recruited him for its prestigious journalism program.
“So I got discovered that way, and they drafted me for the Columbia program, and the rest is history,” Rivera shared.
A spokesperson for Fox News confirmed that they had reached an amicable conclusion with Rivera over the past few weeks. As a tribute to his contributions, fellow Fox News anchors gave him a heartfelt send-off with a standing ovation.
The Five: A Continuing Success
The Five, the popular cable news program, has continued to dominate the ratings. In the first quarter of 2023, it achieved the remarkable feat of being the most-watched cable news program for the sixth consecutive quarter. Furthermore, it has maintained its position as the top cable news program across all categories for the eighth consecutive week, with an impressive viewership of 2,644,000.
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