Alum Maury Povich talks on 'infotainment'

The talk-show host and 1962 College graduate discussed the blurring of new and entertainment. 1962 College graduate Maury Povich's University experience may be likened to a Shakespearean tragedy. "My career at Penn was starcrossed," the talk-show host said yesterday. "I joined a frat that was kicked off campus, and one year later I was kicked off campus." But after failing out once and reapplying to the University, where he spent a "wild, wacky, long" five years and change, the devoted English major and Phi Epsilon Phi brother said he harbors no ill will toward his alma mater. And the College Alumni Society certainly welcomed Povich back with open arms. The society, in conjunction with the World Affairs Council, a public policy forum, invited the Emmy award-winning journalist to speak at the Warwick Hotel yesterday evening as part of a series designed to spotlight notable alumni. Addressing a crowd of approximately 200 College alumni and members of the council, Povich discussed the evolution of his profession and the increasingly "blurred" distinction between news and entertainment. In highlighting the history of the field, Povich noted that editors and publishers have been selling newspapers through "flashy" headlines ever since Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press. While the mass media's coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy assassination and Vietnam War restored the public's faith in journalism, Povich cited a shift in network priorities during the '70s and '80s -- decades characterized by condensed news stories, celebrity gossip and "infotainment." College junior Terence Cho characterized Povich as one of the founding fathers of "tabloid journalism." Although Povich has enjoyed a successful career in broadcast journalism, exploring every facet of the field -- from reporter to sportscaster to anchor to executive producer -- he may best be remembered for his five-year reign as host of A Current Affair. In describing his time with the "quasi-news magazine," Povich cited the program's "fresh" perspective and "rebellious" flavor. "We never took ourselves too seriously," he added. "Our only bylaw was to do stories that no one else was doing." Although he said the recent media craze over the Marv Albert trial reflects a sensational element inherent in modern journalism, he added that some reporters "refuse to get their hands dirty." His own philosophy is to get all the news that's fit to print. "If you're going to do the story, then do the whole story -- including bitings and panties," he said. While Povich is an avid subscriber to the "just hold your nose and deal with it" philosophy, he said he refuses to conduct his talk show, The Maury Povich Show, as a "physical comedy hour." "We make the public aware of social issues that don't receive enough attention," he said, adding that his talk show is "more serious" than Jerry Springer's. Povich has certainly reached College junior Melissa James, who said she was a devoted fan of the show throughout her high school years. "I used to have a crush on him," she said. "Every day after school I'd run home to watch the show." Povich explained that the clash between entertainment and news relies largely on the viewer, who is most experienced in differentiating between the two. "I'm not going to change my ways until [the viewer] asks me to," he added. But he cited the power of the Nielsen ratings over television content. "Unfortunately there's only one barometer, and that's not your taste, it's [the] Nielsen [ratings]," he added. Yet Povich stressed that ethical considerations factor into the format of his talk show. Journalists must present information in a "fair, balanced way," he said. "I don't care if you're interviewing the president of the United States or a cross-dresser -- the same standards apply." Perhaps he gained this sense of ethics as an undergraduate at Penn, exposed to a "full-rounded liberal arts curriculum." "We were immersed in an age of Bohemia," he said. "A lot of us played guitars, went to coffeehouses and followed Kerouac." According to Povich, the early '60s were a time of "innocence"-- students of his era remained untainted by drugs, the sexual revolution and preprofessional pressures. But although Povich may have exchanged his chinos, turtleneck and folk guitar for a three-piece suit, he encourages prospective journalists to "take [their] litmus test." "If you're honest with yourself and go anywhere to apply your trade, you'll be rewarded with a vibrant, profound life," he said.