Fishman’s legacy

Re “Durable anchor fought TV fluff,” obituary, Aug. 8

Hal Fishman was a mensch’s mensch. He embodied the telling of the news itself, sooth-telling perhaps, over his 47 years as a broadcaster. Today his story is news. For tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, he is irreplaceable. All our yesterdays have seen many lighted fools and our present has seen more still. Fishman was none of those; he offered his own light and was no fool.

Fishman signified something resonant and real, an ethic of truth told from both heart and mind. The news of his death marks a sad day for L.A. and for all news media practitioners with integrity and a sense of duty to the public, the few who are left. Thanks for your legacy, Mr. Fishman. Fly free.

Eric Andrew Press

Los Feliz

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As a young reporter for the Belmont High School Sentinel in the early ‘70s, a fellow reporter and I spoke with Fishman as an assignment to interview an important Angeleno.

From his exuberant greeting to his career advice before we left his office, he treated us as colleagues -- answering and asking questions, both professional and personal, for nearly an hour. That wonderful afternoon has stayed with me these last 30-plus years and has become an often-told story within my family and to friends.

Claudia Parras

Lakewood