I Hate Pittsburgh Media

[mike412]

I remember those commercials in the 80's for the Columbia School of Broadcasting!!! Not affiliated with CBS.

That was not the Graduate School of Journalism. It was some fly by night school advertised on TV and matchbook covers.

We actually were in a sense “affiliated” with CBS. The head of the broadcast journalism department when I was there was Fred Friendly, former President of CBS News who had resigned when the network insisted on showing I Love Lucy reruns instead of the Fulbright Vietnam hearings. Half if not more of CBS’ NY news department were adjunct professors or lecturers at the J-School, including Andy Rooney and Dan Rather.

For those old enough to remember her, Judith Crist, The NY Times movie critic, taught literary and media criticism. She commented that my review of James Garner’s “Support Your Local Sheriff” was “hysterically funny” but lacked any overall insight into the “film’s place in the Western genre.” She also criticized my choice to review that film over an Ingmar Bergman movie and a 4-hour movie about Fannie and Alexander, a Russian czar and his wife.

I went and saw the Russian movie the next week.
Here is my review, word-for-word as best as I can remember: “There were 8 people in the theater when the movie started. I was the only one still there half way through it, and I was only there because I had to be. If you don’t have to see it, skip it. You could see “Support Your Local Sheriff” and have a two-hour lunch in the same amount of time.”

She was not amused.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

That was not the Graduate School of Journalism. It was some fly by night school advertised on TV and matchbook covers.

We actually were in a sense “affiliated” with CBS. The head of the broadcast journalism department when I was there was Fred Friendly, former President of CBS News who had resigned when the network insisted on showing I Love Lucy reruns instead of the Fulbright Vietnam hearings. Half if not more of CBS’ NY news department were adjunct professors or lecturers at the J-School, including Andy Rooney and Dan Rather.

For those old enough to remember her, Judith Crist, The NY Times movie critic, taught literary and media criticism. She commented that my review of James Garner’s “Support Your Local Sheriff” was “hysterically funny” but lacked any overall insight into the “film’s place in the Western genre.” She also criticized my choice to review that film over an Ingmar Bergman movie and a 4-hour movie about Fannie and Alexander, a Russian czar and his wife.

I went and saw the Russian movie the next week.
Here is my review, word-for-word as best as I can remember: “There were 8 people in the theater when the movie started. I was the only one still there half way through it, and I was only there because I had to be. If you don’t have to see it, skip it. You could see “Support Your Local Sheriff” and have a two-hour lunch in the same amount of time.”

She was not amused.

You sure know how to kill a thread Mike. Lol

 

[Schaef60]

Pompeani and Batch our hard to watch on Steeler Preseason games and if Bob replaces Bill as play by play on the radio that will be disappointing.

As hard as Pomp and Edmund Nelson?😂😂😂😂😂

 

[BigChungus90210]

meh, I really wish the Steelers would look outside the box and consider a national search. Their hires are mostly lazy.

This city and it's inhabitants have a weird fetish with people who grew up in the greater metro area and are "one of us". I mean, the most popular Pirate might be the guy who pitches a single inning every 2 or 3 games in Bednar. The Steelers take it a step further by giving jobs to unqualified, cheap people with a local connection, a la Danny Smith.

 

[Boyd_Blair_Fan91]

Saunders and Kozara are good, Kozara is especially insightful into the game itself. Probably the best in town.

I don't follow Pomp or Batch.

There's a huge swath of garbage below those guys that varies from Dulac (lazy and doesn't add value) to Madden (mean, liar, and outright troll).

Having lived in a bunch of cities in the last 15 years - DC, Vegas, Philly, and Atlanta - I can definitely say that Pittsburgh has the worst local sports media of my lifetime.

Kozora is the best pittsburgh media has in my opinion

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

As hard as Pomp and Edmund Nelson?😂😂😂😂😂

Edmund Nelson, worst color commentator ever, or is that still too much credit?

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Pitt is low hanging fruit. You have PSU and WVU fans that hate Pitt and then all the self loathing “Pitt fans”. This board is filled with them.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Edmund Nelson, worst color commentator ever, or is that still too much credit?

Are you kidding me? The bulldog, especially discussing ribfest was one of the great comedy reliefs in local sports.

 

[djbpitt]

Pittsburgh is a major city though. Its hard to believe that it doesn't have a journalism school, being there are many opportunities for internships and jobs. Are there other major cities that don't have journalism schools? Does Duquesne or CMU?

You don't need a journalism degree to be a great journalist. As someone who has hired plenty of journalists, I'll say this: Someone who is a skilled writer and strong critical thinker is the best hire. That might or might not be someone with a journalism degree.

 

[pittdan77]

Someone who is a skilled writer and strong critical thinker is the best hire. That might or might not be someone with a journalism degree.

I would be happier to see more of this. Unfortunately, any dope can make $40 for 500 words on a blog site and AI is just reworking this stuff into "news" at bigger outlets.

 

[Upg bobcat]

meh, I really wish the Steelers would look outside the box and consider a national search. Their hires are mostly lazy.

I'm too young to remember Bob Prince. I barely remember Myron Cope. In my lifetime, the ultimate Pittsburgh sports coverage person is Mike Lange. It's a shame he doesn't work for the Pens anymore, but I thought he was the absolute best in the business.

Lange was not local, right?

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

I'm too young to remember Bob Prince. I barely remember Myron Cope. In my lifetime, the ultimate Pittsburgh sports coverage person is Mike Lange. It's a shame he doesn't work for the Pens anymore, but I thought he was the absolute best in the business.

Lange was not local, right?

Not sure about Lange. One thing I will give the Pirates credit for is the play by play guys are usually national hires, although they don't put much thought into the color analysts. Mostly ex-players, Wehner is pretty bad.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

You don't need a journalism degree to be a great journalist. As someone who has hired plenty of journalists, I'll say this: Someone who is a skilled writer and strong critical thinker is the best hire. That might or might not be someone with a journalism degree.

fun fact, Peter Jennings was a high school drop out.

 

[Wanstash21]

Pompeani and Batch our hard to watch on Steeler Preseason games and if Bob replaces Bill as play by play on the radio that will be disappointing.

I love Bill but I can't listen to a game with him doing play by play. He got lost in the sauce constantly

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Lange was not local, right?

Lange was from northern California. Sacramento, if I remember correctly. He probably never spent a minute in Pittsburgh until the Pens hired him in the mid-70s.

 

[forbesfield]

I'm too young to remember Bob Prince. I barely remember Myron Cope. In my lifetime, the ultimate Pittsburgh sports coverage person is Mike Lange. It's a shame he doesn't work for the Pens anymore, but I thought he was the absolute best in the business.

Lange was not local, right?

Actually from California. But everybody can appreciate that Mike was a unicorn. He ended up in the best place at the right time not only for him, but us. In a bigger market, he might have had issues.