University of Pittsburgh Press
PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – University of Pittsburgh alumnus, Mal Goode, made history when he became the first African American correspondent for a national news network. Two Pitt Professors, Dr. Liann Tsoukas and Dr. Rob Ruck recognized Goode’s impact on the media and the University of Pittsburgh by writing a biography entitled Mal Goode Reporting: The Life & Work of a Black Broadcast Trailblazer.
The biography spans Goode’s life, career, and the racial challenges he faced throughout the 20th century. From working nights at the steel mill to covering the Cuban Missile Crisis, Goode’s legacy “deserves to be recognized,” according to Tsoukas.
“Mal Goode – through a series of unexpected events – becomes the first black correspondent on national network news. He is the guy,” Tsoukas said.
Goode graduated with a political science degree from the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in 1932. He then went on to work in the Hill District and spent the majority of his career working in radio and for the Pittsburgh Courier. He made his television debut in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
According to Ruck, Goode was a trailblazer for African Americans in news.
“There are certain things we take for granted today – we see black people on the news, and we hear black perspectives. I think Mal, in many ways, is a catalyst to that change.”
Great work!!
This is awesome!