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{{short description|American journalist}}

{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Mike Pesca
| name = Mike Pesca
| image = MikePescaforThePub.png
| image = MikePescaforThePub.png
| caption = Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast from Slate
| caption = Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|12|29|mf=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|12|29|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Oceanside, NY
| birth_place = [[Oceanside, New York]], U.S.
| education = Emory University
| alma_mater = [[Emory University]]
| occupation = [[Broadcast journalist|Radio journalist]] for [[Slate magazine|''Slate'']]
| occupation = [[Broadcast journalist|Radio journalist]] for ''[[Peach Fish Productions]]''
| alias =
| alias =
| spouse = Michelle Hunter Pesca
| spouse = Michelle Hunter Pesca
| children = 2
| children = 2
| credits = ''[[Morning Edition]]'', ''[[All Things Considered]]'' , ''[[Weekend Edition]]'', ''[[Hang Up and Listen]]''
| credits = ''[[Morning Edition]]'', ''[[All Things Considered]]'', ''[[Weekend Edition]]'', ''[[Hang Up and Listen]]''
| URL =
| URL =
}}
}}
'''Mike Pesca''' (born December 29, 1971) is an American [[Broadcast journalist|radio journalist]] and [[podcaster]] based in [[New York City]]. He is the host of [[Slate (magazine)|''Slate'' magazine's]] daily podcast, ''[[The Gist]],''<ref>[https://twitter.com/andybowers/status/456534925634580480 Andy Bowers tweet], April 26, 2014.</ref> and the editor of ''Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.''
'''Mike Pesca''' (born December 29, 1971) is an American [[Broadcast journalist|radio journalist]] and [[podcaster]] based in [[New York City]]. He is the host of the daily podcast, ''[[The Gist]],''<ref>[https://twitter.com/andybowers/status/456534925634580480 Andy Bowers tweet], April 26, 2014.</ref> and the editor of ''Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.''


==Career==
==Career==
Pesca first appeared on radio as a ten-year-old caller to a local [[New York City]] sports program, offering his opinion on the [[New York Jets]].<ref name="NPRBio">{{cite web |title=Mike Pesca, NPR Biography |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4142110 |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122012550/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4142110 |archivedate=January 22, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1997, Pesca got his first job in radio, as an intern at the station working on ''New York & Co'', which would later become ''[[Leonard Lopate#The Leonard Lopate Show|The Leonard Lopate Show]]''.<ref name="WNYC profile">{{cite web|title=People – Mike Pesca |url=http://www.wnyc.org/people/mike-pesca/ |publisher=[[WNYC]] |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6OPyDoVr2?url=http://www.wnyc.org/people/mike-pesca/ |archivedate=March 28, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Mike Pesca first appeared on radio as a ten-year-old caller to a local [[New York City]] sports program, offering his opinion on the [[New York Jets]].<ref name="NPRBio">{{cite web |title=Mike Pesca, NPR Biography |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4142110 |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122012550/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4142110 |archivedate=January 22, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1997, Pesca got his first job in radio, as an intern at the station working on ''New York & Co'', which would later become ''[[Leonard Lopate#The Leonard Lopate Show|The Leonard Lopate Show]]''.<ref name="WNYC profile">{{cite web|title=People – Mike Pesca |url=http://www.wnyc.org/people/mike-pesca/ |publisher=[[WNYC]] |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329015217/http://www.wnyc.org/people/mike-pesca/ |archivedate=March 29, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>


Pesca went on to work as Producer-At-Large for the [[WNYC]] and [[NPR]] program ''[[On the Media]]'' (OTM). He had a recurring segment on OTM called "Mike's Pockets", in which he would "disgorge little bits of media fluff" he encountered.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mike's Pockets (transcript) |url=http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2002/04/27/03 |publisher=[[On the Media]] |date=April 27, 2002 |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6OPyJkFBu?url=http://www.onthemedia.org/story/131667-mikes-pockets/transcript/ |archivedate=March 28, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In late 2005, he became the first NPR reporter to have his own [[podcast]], ''On Gambling with Mike Pesca'' on which he discussed topics related to [[gambling]].<ref name="NPRBio" /> He served as a [[reporter]] for NPR and ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s mid-day show ''[[Day to Day]]'', on which he also occasionally filled in as [[Host (radio)|host]]. Other public radio programs he has guest hosted include ''[[The Bryant Park Project]]'', ''[[Talk of the Nation]]'', ''[[On Point]]'', ''[[Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!]]'' and ''[[The Brian Lehrer Show]]''.<ref name="WNYC profile" />
Pesca went on to work as Producer-At-Large for the [[WNYC]] and [[NPR]] program ''[[On the Media]]'' (OTM). He had a recurring segment on OTM called "Mike's Shoes", in which he would "disgorge little bits of media fluff" he encountered.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mike's Pockets (transcript) |url=http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2002/04/27/03 |publisher=[[On the Media]] |date=April 27, 2002 |accessdate=May 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329082543/http://www.onthemedia.org/story/131667-mikes-pockets/transcript/ |archivedate=March 29, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In late 2005, he became the first NPR reporter to have his own [[podcast]], ''On Gambling with Mike Pesca'' on which he discussed topics related to [[gambling]].<ref name="NPRBio" /> He served as a [[reporter]] for NPR and ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s mid-day show ''[[Day to Day]]'', on which he also occasionally filled in as [[Host (radio)|host]]. Other public radio programs he has guest hosted include ''[[The Bryant Park Project]]'', ''[[Talk of the Nation]]'', ''[[On Point]]'', ''[[Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!]]'' and ''[[The Brian Lehrer Show]]''.<ref name="WNYC profile" />


Since 2014, Pesca has served as host of ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s daily podcast ''[[The Gist]]''. Prior to joining the ''Slate'' staff, Pesca served as a National Desk [[correspondent]] for [[National Public Radio]] (NPR). Pesca's reports have been featured on ''[[Morning Edition]]'', ''[[All Things Considered]]'' and ''[[Weekend Edition]]''. He covered mainly [[sports]] and [[popular culture|pop culture]] for the network,<ref name="NPRBio" /> and previously he has covered a wide range of topics including [[politics]], [[economics]], and [[the arts]].<ref name="WNYC profile" /> He also appears on the [[WBUR-FM]]/NPR program ''[[Here and Now (Boston)|Here and Now]]'' as well as [[CNN]], ''[[PBS NewsHour]]'', and [[MSNBC]]. He is a regular contributor to the NPR program ''[[Weekend Edition]] Sunday''.<ref name="Mike Pesca">[https://www.npr.org/2013/11/24/246984890/remembering-when-a-teacher-had-his-back "Remembering When A Teacher Had His Back," ''[[Weekend Edition]] Sunday'' November 24, 2013.]</ref>
Since 2014, Pesca has served as host of ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s daily podcast ''[[The Gist]]''. Prior to joining the ''Slate'' staff, Pesca served as a National Desk [[correspondent]] for [[National Public Radio]] (NPR). Pesca's reports have been featured on ''[[Morning Edition]]'', ''[[All Things Considered]]'' and ''[[Weekend Edition]]''. He covered mainly [[sports]] and [[popular culture|pop culture]] for the network,<ref name="NPRBio" /> and previously he has covered a wide range of topics including [[politics]], [[economics]], and [[the arts]].<ref name="WNYC profile" /> He also appears on the [[WBUR-FM]]/NPR program ''[[Here and Now (Boston)|Here and Now]]'' as well as [[CNN]], ''[[PBS NewsHour]]'', and [[MSNBC]]. He is a regular contributor to the NPR program ''[[Weekend Edition]] Sunday''.<ref name="Mike Pesca">[https://www.npr.org/2013/11/24/246984890/remembering-when-a-teacher-had-his-back "Remembering When A Teacher Had His Back"], ''[[Weekend Edition]] Sunday'' November 24, 2013.</ref>


He has also written for ''Slate'' and the ''[[Washington Post]]''.<ref name="NPRBio" />
He has also written for ''Slate'' and the ''[[Washington Post]]''.<ref name="NPRBio" />
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In addition to his weekly duties as a panelist on ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s ''Hang Up and Listen'' podcast, Pesca has appeared as a guest on many popular podcasts including NPR's [[Planet Money]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Pesca on Planet Money|url=https://www.npr.org/search/index.php?aggId=93559255&aggTitle=Planet+Money&searchinput=pesca|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s [[Culture Gabfest]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Culture Gabfest, "How Does That Make You Feel?" Edition|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2287042/|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=March 9, 2011|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> Luke Burbank's [[Too Beautiful to Live]],<ref>{{cite web|title=This Year – recapping the best podcasts|url=http://thisyearcollection.blogspot.com/2011/04/8-too-beautiful-to-live-2011-q1.html|publisher=[[Too Beautiful to Live]]|date=April 22, 2011|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> The Sporkful<ref>{{cite web|title=Episode 14: Gum (with NPR's Mike Pesca)|url=http://sporkful.posterous.com/episode-14-gum-with-nprs-mike-pesca-0|publisher=The Sporkful Blog]|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> and Maximum Fun's [[Maximum Fun#Jordan, Jesse, Go!|Jordan, Jesse, Go!]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Complete Episode Guide|url=http://www.jjgo.org/referenced?term=Mike+Pesca|publisher=Jordan, Jesse, Go!|accessdate=May 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820062105/http://www.jjgo.org/referenced?term=Mike+Pesca|archive-date=August 20, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In addition to his weekly duties as a panelist on ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s ''Hang Up and Listen'' podcast, Pesca has appeared as a guest on many popular podcasts including NPR's [[Planet Money]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Pesca on Planet Money|url=https://www.npr.org/search/index.php?aggId=93559255&aggTitle=Planet+Money&searchinput=pesca|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> ''Slate''<nowiki/>'s [[Culture Gabfest]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Culture Gabfest, "How Does That Make You Feel?" Edition|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2287042/|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=March 9, 2011|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> Luke Burbank's [[Too Beautiful to Live]],<ref>{{cite web|title=This Year – recapping the best podcasts|url=http://thisyearcollection.blogspot.com/2011/04/8-too-beautiful-to-live-2011-q1.html|publisher=[[Too Beautiful to Live]]|date=April 22, 2011|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> The Sporkful<ref>{{cite web|title=Episode 14: Gum (with NPR's Mike Pesca)|url=http://sporkful.posterous.com/episode-14-gum-with-nprs-mike-pesca-0|publisher=The Sporkful Blog]|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> and Maximum Fun's [[Maximum Fun#Jordan, Jesse, Go!|Jordan, Jesse, Go!]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Complete Episode Guide|url=http://www.jjgo.org/referenced?term=Mike+Pesca|publisher=Jordan, Jesse, Go!|accessdate=May 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820062105/http://www.jjgo.org/referenced?term=Mike+Pesca|archive-date=August 20, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>


In February 2014, Pesca announced that he was leaving NPR to join ''Slate'' magazine. In announcing the hiring, ''Slate'' podcasts executive producer Andy Bowers called Pesca "one of the most interesting, exciting on-air personalities working today."<ref>{{cite news|last=Taube |first=Aaron |title=Slate Hires NPR Sports Reporter To Boost Its Podcast Business |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/slate-hires-nprs-pesca-for-new-podcast-2014-2 |accessdate=February 13, 2014 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=February 12, 2014 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6NMbf1WbG?url=http://www.businessinsider.com/slate-hires-nprs-pesca-for-new-podcast-2014-2 |archivedate=February 13, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pesca has also filled in as host of the NPR radio program ''Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me'' when Peter Sagal was away.
In February 2014, Pesca announced that he was leaving NPR to join ''Slate'' magazine. In announcing the hiring, ''Slate'' podcasts executive producer Andy Bowers called Pesca "one of the most interesting, exciting on-air personalities working today."<ref>{{cite news|last=Taube |first=Aaron |title=Slate Hires NPR Sports Reporter To Boost Its Podcast Business |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/slate-hires-nprs-pesca-for-new-podcast-2014-2 |accessdate=February 13, 2014 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=February 12, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214134040/http://www.businessinsider.com/slate-hires-nprs-pesca-for-new-podcast-2014-2 |archivedate=February 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pesca has also filled in as host of the NPR radio program ''Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me'' when Peter Sagal was away.


In May 2018, Pesca edited and published ''Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History'', a collection of essays in which authors explore alternative histories in the world of sports. That month, ''Slate'' started releasing ''Upon Further Review'', a weekly podcast based on chapters from the book.
In May 2018, Pesca edited and published ''Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History'', a collection of essays in which authors explore alternative histories in the world of sports. That month, ''Slate'' started releasing ''Upon Further Review'', a weekly podcast based on chapters from the book.


On the 22nd of February in 2021, Mike was indefinitely suspended after he debated with colleagues over whether people who are not Black should be able to quote a racial slur in some contexts. Slate's commentary included a statement that "...this was not a decision based around making an isolated abstract argument...”. <ref>{{Cite news|last=Robertson|first=Katie|last2=Smith|first2=Ben|date=2021-02-23|title=Slate Suspends Podcast Host After Debate Over Racial Slur|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/business/media/slate-mike-pesca-suspended.html|access-date=2021-02-23|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On the 3rd of September in 2021, it was announced that Pesca and Slate had "mutually agreed to part ways," and that Slate had sold The Gist to Pesca, who would be taking the show to an independent platform. <ref>{{Cite news|last=Wemple|first=Erik|date=2021-09-03|title=Opinion: Slate and Mike Pesca have agreed to ‘part ways’|language=en-US|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/03/slate-mike-pesca-part-ways-investigation-n-word/|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In February 2021, Slate indefinitely suspended Pesca after he debated colleagues over whether people who are not Black should be able to quote a racial slur in some contexts. Slate's announcement stated that "this was not a decision based around making an isolated abstract argument".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Katie|last2=Smith|first2=Ben|date=2021-02-23|title=Slate Suspends Podcast Host After Debate Over Racial Slur|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/business/media/slate-mike-pesca-suspended.html|access-date=2021-02-23|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On September 3, 2021, Pesca and Slate "mutually agreed to part ways", and Slate sold ''The Gist'' to Pesca, who announced plans to take the show to an independent platform.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wemple|first=Erik|date=2021-09-03|title=Opinion: Slate and Mike Pesca have agreed to 'part ways'|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/03/slate-mike-pesca-part-ways-investigation-n-word/|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

The Gist has returned for "Season 2," produced by Peach Fish Productions. It premiered on January 24, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gist/id873667927?i=1000548383096|title = The Gist: The Return of the Gist on Apple Podcasts}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Mike Pesca was born in [[Oceanside, New York|Oceanside]], [[Long Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He is of [[Italian Americans|Italian]] heritage, and his surname is the Italian word for "peach."<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/08/slate-weekly-roundup-what-the-gists-mike-pesca-thinks-you-should-read-from-the-magazine-this-week.html|title = What Should I Read from Slate This Week? Mike Pesca Shares His Picks| journal=Slate |date = 22 August 2014| last1=Pesca | first1=Mike }}</ref>
⚫
In his podcast, ''The Gist'', Pesca has described himself as "the son of a [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] and a [[Jew]]"<ref>{{cite av media|title=George Carlin Gets His Way|people=Mike Pesca|date=October 13, 2014|type=Podcast|minutes=28|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2014/10/the_gist_on_george_carlin_way_and_how_turkey_understands_conflict_in_syria.html}}</ref> and as someone who "grew up Catholic, a little bit."<ref>{{cite av media|title=Will Gay Marriage Upend Gay Culture?|date=June 30, 2015|type=Podcast|minutes=1.6|people=Mike Pesca|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2015/06/the_gist_j_bryan_lowder_on_gay_marriage_and_the_soundtrack_of_chris_christie.html}}</ref> Pesca attended [[Emory University]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], where he was a member of the [[Alpha Epsilon Pi]] fraternity and served as vice-president of the school's intra-fraternity council. He graduated from Emory in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Testing the bonds of brotherhood, Apes embodies the fraternal spirit

⚫
In his podcast, ''The Gist'', Pesca has described himself as "the son of a [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] and a [[Jew]]"<ref>{{cite AV media|title=George Carlin Gets His Way|people=Mike Pesca|date=October 13, 2014|type=Podcast|minutes=28|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2014/10/the_gist_on_george_carlin_way_and_how_turkey_understands_conflict_in_syria.html}}</ref> and as someone who "grew up Catholic, a little bit."<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Will Gay Marriage Upend Gay Culture?|date=June 30, 2015|type=Podcast|minutes=1.6|people=Mike Pesca|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2015/06/the_gist_j_bryan_lowder_on_gay_marriage_and_the_soundtrack_of_chris_christie.html}}</ref> Pesca attended [[Emory University]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], where he was a member of the [[Alpha Epsilon Pi]] fraternity and served as vice-president of the school's intra-fraternity council. He graduated from Emory in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Testing the bonds of brotherhood, Apes embodies the fraternal spirit
|url=http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=22975 |publisher=[[The Emory Wheel]] |date=February 11, 2003 |accessdate=May 19, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815162213/http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=22975
|url=http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=22975 |publisher=[[The Emory Wheel]] |date=February 11, 2003 |accessdate=May 19, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815162213/http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=22975
|archivedate=August 15, 2011}}</ref>''''
|archivedate=August 15, 2011}}</ref>'''


Pesca has two sons (Milo and Emmett) with his ex-wife, Robin Dolch, a public relations executive.<ref>{{cite news|title=Robin Dolch, Michael Pesca|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/fashion/weddings/robin-dolch-michael-pesca.html|accessdate=13 August 2015|work=New York Times|date=6 March 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Founder|url=http://hundredstoriespr.com/the-team/|website=Hundred Stories Public Relations|accessdate=13 August 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818145849/http://hundredstoriespr.com/the-team/|archivedate=18 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pagesix.com/2015/04/28/bob-weinstein-has-a-new-lady-friend/|website=New York Post|title=Bob Weinstein has a new lady friend|accessdate=15 October 2015}}</ref> He lives in a house with a “nice lady” named Michelle, who is making a garden in their backyard.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=pescami |number=1259328163311685632 |date=9 May 2020 |title=When you just bought a house with a patch of grass out back you owe it to yourself to make it a garden. I by “yourself” I mean Michelle. This nice lady who lives with me. }}</ref> He is a fan of the [[New York Jets]], [[New York Mets]], [[New York Knicks]] and [[St. John's Red Storm men's basketball|St. Johns Red Storm]].<ref name="NPRBio" /> In 2006, Pesca appeared as a contestant on the [[game show]] ''[[Jeopardy!]]'',<ref>{{cite web|title=J-Archive: Mike Pesca|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=2232|publisher=[J! Archive]|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref> where he led going into the Final Jeopardy round, but finished in third place.<ref>{{cite web|title=Show #5036- Monday, July 3, 2006|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=1099|publisher=[J! Archive]|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref> In 2020, Pesca proposed marriage to Michelle Hunter with the assistance of Buddy the Rat.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-30|title=VIDEO: Buddy The Rat returns – not to the subway, but to help a New Yorker with a marriage proposal|url=https://www.radio.com/1010wins/news/local/video-buddy-the-rat-returns-to-help-with-marriage-proposal|access-date=2021-02-24|website=www.radio.com|language=en}}</ref>
Pesca has two sons (Milo and Emmett) with his ex-wife, Robin Dolch, a public relations executive.<ref>{{cite news|title=Robin Dolch, Michael Pesca|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/fashion/weddings/robin-dolch-michael-pesca.html|accessdate=13 August 2015|work=New York Times|date=6 March 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Founder|url=http://hundredstoriespr.com/the-team/|website=Hundred Stories Public Relations|accessdate=13 August 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818145849/http://hundredstoriespr.com/the-team/|archivedate=18 August 2015}}</ref> He is a fan of the [[New York Jets]], [[New York Mets]], [[New York Knicks]] and [[St. John's Red Storm men's basketball|St. Johns Red Storm]].<ref name="NPRBio" /> In 2006, Pesca appeared as a contestant on the [[game show]] ''[[Jeopardy!]]'',<ref>{{cite web|title=J-Archive: Mike Pesca|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=2232|publisher=[J! Archive]|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref> where he led going into the Final Jeopardy round, but finished in third place.<ref>{{cite web|title=Show #5036- Monday, July 3, 2006|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=1099|publisher=[J! Archive]|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref> In 2020, Pesca became engaged to Michelle Hunter with the assistance of Buddy the Rat.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-30|title=VIDEO: Buddy The Rat returns – not to the subway, but to help a New Yorker with a marriage proposal|url=https://www.radio.com/1010wins/news/local/video-buddy-the-rat-returns-to-help-with-marriage-proposal|access-date=2021-02-24|website=www.radio.com|language=en}}</ref>


==Awards==
==Awards==
Pesca is a two-time [[RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award|Edward R. Murrow Award]] winner. The Murrow awards are presented by the [[Radio Television Digital News Association]] (formerly the Radio and Television News Directors Association) for excellence in electronic journalism.<ref name="2010 Murrow Winners">{{cite web|title=2010 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners|url=http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/2010-national-edward-r.-murrow-award-winners1961.php?id=1961|publisher=[[Radio Television Digital News Association]]|accessdate=May 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617202311/http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/2010-national-edward-r.-murrow-award-winners1961.php?id=1961|archivedate=June 17, 2011}}</ref>
Pesca is a two-time [[RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award|Edward R. Murrow Award]] winner. The Murrow awards are presented by the [[Radio Television Digital News Association]] (formerly the Radio and Television News Directors Association) for excellence in electronic journalism.<ref name="2010 Murrow Winners">{{cite web|title=2010 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners|url=http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/2010-national-edward-r.-murrow-award-winners1961.php?id=1961|publisher=[[Radio Television Digital News Association]]|accessdate=May 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617202311/http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/2010-national-edward-r.-murrow-award-winners1961.php?id=1961|archivedate=June 17, 2011}}</ref>


He most recently was awarded the 2010 Murrow for audio sports reporting in the Radio Network/Syndication Service category.<ref name="2010 Murrow Winners" /> He received the award for the season-long weekly series, ''Friday Night Lives'', on "the phenomenon of [[High school football in North America|high school football]]"<ref name="FridayNightLivesPR">{{cite web|title=NPR News kicks off "Friday Night Lives"|url=https://www.npr.org/about/press/2009/082609.HighSchoolFootball.html|date=August 26, 2009|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> which Pesca created with NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman.<ref>{{cite web|title=NPR won four national Edward R. Murrow Awards in this year's RTDNA contest honoring excellence in electronic journalism|url=http://www.current.org/awards/awards2010-6e.shtml|publisher=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|date=July 4, 2010|accessdate=May 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224183643/http://current.org/awards/awards2010-6e.shtml|archivedate=December 24, 2010}}</ref> The series aired throughout 2009 and 2010 on ''All Things Considered''.<ref name="FridayNightLivesPR" />
He most recently was awarded the 2010 Murrow for audio sports reporting in the Radio Network/Syndication Service category.<ref name="2010 Murrow Winners" /> He received the award for the season-long weekly series, ''Friday Night Lives'', on "the phenomenon of [[High school football in North America|high school football]]"<ref name="FridayNightLivesPR">{{cite web|title=NPR News kicks off "Friday Night Lives"|website=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/about/press/2009/082609.HighSchoolFootball.html|date=August 26, 2009|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> which Pesca created with NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman.<ref>{{cite web|title=NPR won four national Edward R. Murrow Awards in this year's RTDNA contest honoring excellence in electronic journalism|url=http://www.current.org/awards/awards2010-6e.shtml|publisher=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]|date=July 4, 2010|accessdate=May 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224183643/http://current.org/awards/awards2010-6e.shtml|archivedate=December 24, 2010}}</ref> The series aired throughout 2009 and 2010 on ''All Things Considered''.<ref name="FridayNightLivesPR" />


Pesca won the 2001 Murrow Award for Best Radio Feature Reporting for his report "Cracker Jack" that aired on ''On the Media'' on August 4, 2001.<ref name=OTMMurrow>{{cite web|title=NPR's On the Media Wins 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award For Best Feature Reporting, for "Cracker Jack"|url=http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/pesca_murrow.html|publisher=[[On the Media]] (website)|date=June 20, 2002|accessdate=May 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523063253/http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/pesca_murrow.html|archivedate=May 23, 2011}}</ref> The feature's premise was that [[Cracker Jack]]'s inclusion by name in the song [[Take Me Out to the Ballgame]] amounts to the "most successful product placement in history".<ref name=OTMMurrow/>
Pesca won the 2001 Murrow Award for Best Radio Feature Reporting for his report "Cracker Jack" that aired on ''On the Media'' on August 4, 2001.<ref name=OTMMurrow>{{cite web|title=NPR's On the Media Wins 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award For Best Feature Reporting, for "Cracker Jack"|url=http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/pesca_murrow.html|publisher=[[On the Media]] (website)|date=June 20, 2002|accessdate=May 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523063253/http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/pesca_murrow.html|archivedate=May 23, 2011}}</ref> The feature's premise was that [[Cracker Jack]]'s inclusion by name in the song [[Take Me Out to the Ballgame]] amounts to the "most successful product placement in history".<ref name=OTMMurrow/>
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Latest revision as of 04:05, 24 July 2024

Mike Pesca
Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast
Born (1971-12-29) December 29, 1971 (age 52)
Oceanside, New York, U.S.
Alma materEmory University
OccupationRadio journalist for Peach Fish Productions
Notable credit(s)Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Hang Up and Listen
SpouseMichelle Hunter Pesca
Children2

Mike Pesca (born December 29, 1971) is an American radio journalist and podcaster based in New York City. He is the host of the daily podcast, The Gist,[1] and the editor of Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.

Career

[edit]

Mike Pesca first appeared on radio as a ten-year-old caller to a local New York City sports program, offering his opinion on the New York Jets.[2] In 1997, Pesca got his first job in radio, as an intern at the station working on New York & Co, which would later become The Leonard Lopate Show.[3]

Pesca went on to work as Producer-At-Large for the WNYC and NPR program On the Media (OTM). He had a recurring segment on OTM called "Mike's Shoes", in which he would "disgorge little bits of media fluff" he encountered.[4] In late 2005, he became the first NPR reporter to have his own podcast, On Gambling with Mike Pesca on which he discussed topics related to gambling.[2] He served as a reporter for NPR and Slate's mid-day show Day to Day, on which he also occasionally filled in as host. Other public radio programs he has guest hosted include The Bryant Park Project, Talk of the Nation, On Point, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and The Brian Lehrer Show.[3]

Since 2014, Pesca has served as host of Slate's daily podcast The Gist. Prior to joining the Slate staff, Pesca served as a National Desk correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR). Pesca's reports have been featured on Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. He covered mainly sports and pop culture for the network,[2] and previously he has covered a wide range of topics including politics, economics, and the arts.[3] He also appears on the WBUR-FM/NPR program Here and Now as well as CNN, PBS NewsHour, and MSNBC. He is a regular contributor to the NPR program Weekend Edition Sunday.[5]

He has also written for Slate and the Washington Post.[2]

In addition to his weekly duties as a panelist on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, Pesca has appeared as a guest on many popular podcasts including NPR's Planet Money,[6] Slate's Culture Gabfest,[7] Luke Burbank's Too Beautiful to Live,[8] The Sporkful[9] and Maximum Fun's Jordan, Jesse, Go!.[10]

In February 2014, Pesca announced that he was leaving NPR to join Slate magazine. In announcing the hiring, Slate podcasts executive producer Andy Bowers called Pesca "one of the most interesting, exciting on-air personalities working today."[11] Pesca has also filled in as host of the NPR radio program Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me when Peter Sagal was away.

In May 2018, Pesca edited and published Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History, a collection of essays in which authors explore alternative histories in the world of sports. That month, Slate started releasing Upon Further Review, a weekly podcast based on chapters from the book.

In February 2021, Slate indefinitely suspended Pesca after he debated colleagues over whether people who are not Black should be able to quote a racial slur in some contexts. Slate's announcement stated that "this was not a decision based around making an isolated abstract argument".[12] On September 3, 2021, Pesca and Slate "mutually agreed to part ways", and Slate sold The Gist to Pesca, who announced plans to take the show to an independent platform.[13]

The Gist has returned for "Season 2," produced by Peach Fish Productions. It premiered on January 24, 2022.[14]

Personal life

[edit]

Mike Pesca was born in Oceanside, Long Island, New York. He is of Italian heritage, and his surname is the Italian word for "peach."[15]

In his podcast, The Gist, Pesca has described himself as "the son of a Catholic and a Jew"[16] and as someone who "grew up Catholic, a little bit."[17] Pesca attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and served as vice-president of the school's intra-fraternity council. He graduated from Emory in 1994.[18]

Pesca has two sons (Milo and Emmett) with his ex-wife, Robin Dolch, a public relations executive.[19][20] He is a fan of the New York Jets, New York Mets, New York Knicks and St. Johns Red Storm.[2] In 2006, Pesca appeared as a contestant on the game show Jeopardy!,[21] where he led going into the Final Jeopardy round, but finished in third place.[22] In 2020, Pesca became engaged to Michelle Hunter with the assistance of Buddy the Rat.[23]

Awards

[edit]

Pesca is a two-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner. The Murrow awards are presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (formerly the Radio and Television News Directors Association) for excellence in electronic journalism.[24]

He most recently was awarded the 2010 Murrow for audio sports reporting in the Radio Network/Syndication Service category.[24] He received the award for the season-long weekly series, Friday Night Lives, on "the phenomenon of high school football"[25] which Pesca created with NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman.[26] The series aired throughout 2009 and 2010 on All Things Considered.[25]

Pesca won the 2001 Murrow Award for Best Radio Feature Reporting for his report "Cracker Jack" that aired on On the Media on August 4, 2001.[27] The feature's premise was that Cracker Jack's inclusion by name in the song Take Me Out to the Ballgame amounts to the "most successful product placement in history".[27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Andy Bowers tweet, April 26, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mike Pesca, NPR Biography". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "People – Mike Pesca". WNYC. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  4. ^ "Mike's Pockets (transcript)". On the Media. April 27, 2002. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  5. ^ "Remembering When A Teacher Had His Back", Weekend Edition Sunday November 24, 2013.
  6. ^ "Pesca on Planet Money". National Public Radio. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  7. ^ "The Culture Gabfest, "How Does That Make You Feel?" Edition". Slate. March 9, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  8. ^ "This Year – recapping the best podcasts". Too Beautiful to Live. April 22, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  9. ^ "Episode 14: Gum (with NPR's Mike Pesca)". The Sporkful Blog]. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  10. ^ "The Complete Episode Guide". Jordan, Jesse, Go!. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  11. ^ Taube, Aaron (February 12, 2014). "Slate Hires NPR Sports Reporter To Boost Its Podcast Business". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  12. ^ Robertson, Katie; Smith, Ben (2021-02-23). "Slate Suspends Podcast Host After Debate Over Racial Slur". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  13. ^ Wemple, Erik (2021-09-03). "Opinion: Slate and Mike Pesca have agreed to 'part ways'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  14. ^ "The Gist: The Return of the Gist on Apple Podcasts".
  15. ^ Pesca, Mike (22 August 2014). "What Should I Read from Slate This Week? Mike Pesca Shares His Picks". Slate.
  16. ^ Mike Pesca (October 13, 2014). George Carlin Gets His Way (Podcast). 28 minutes in.
  17. ^ Mike Pesca (June 30, 2015). Will Gay Marriage Upend Gay Culture? (Podcast). 1.6 minutes in.
  18. ^ "Testing the bonds of brotherhood, Apes embodies the fraternal spirit". The Emory Wheel. February 11, 2003. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  19. ^ "Robin Dolch, Michael Pesca". New York Times. 6 March 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  20. ^ "The Founder". Hundred Stories Public Relations. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  21. ^ "J-Archive: Mike Pesca". [J! Archive]. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  22. ^ "Show #5036- Monday, July 3, 2006". [J! Archive]. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  23. ^ "VIDEO: Buddy The Rat returns – not to the subway, but to help a New Yorker with a marriage proposal". www.radio.com. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  24. ^ a b "2010 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners". Radio Television Digital News Association. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  25. ^ a b "NPR News kicks off "Friday Night Lives"". NPR. August 26, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  26. ^ "NPR won four national Edward R. Murrow Awards in this year's RTDNA contest honoring excellence in electronic journalism". Current. July 4, 2010. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  27. ^ a b "NPR's On the Media Wins 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award For Best Feature Reporting, for "Cracker Jack"". On the Media (website). June 20, 2002. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
[edit]

Selected stories by Mike Pesca:

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