Most Interesting People 2011: Michael McIntyre

Why he's interesting ... McIntyre has long been a staple of Cleveland's media scene, writing The Plain Dealer's popular "Tipoff" column. After serving as the interim host of WCPN's The Sound of Ideas, he landed the job permanently in October. As a result, multiple McIntyres now share the city's airwaves (Jim McIntyre is a morning host at WDOK), but Michael claims he's the funnier one.

On anonymity ... When McIntyre first started writing "Tipoff," it didn't have his picture, and he liked it that way. "I could be sitting next to you and collecting all kinds of delicious fodder because people didn't know who I was."

On hate mail ... "My favorite complaint — and one that I hear a lot — is that I can't write my way out of a paper bag. I think that's ridiculous. Of course, I could write my way out of a paper bag. If I had a sharp enough pencil, I'm convinced I could definitely write my way out of that bag."

The appeal of "Tipoff" ... The column is perfect for the ADD generation. "What I basically do is write a bunch of short pieces. If you don't like my first column, you can always skip it and go to the next one. What I'm really hoping for is to win the Pulitzer Prize for best investigative paragraph."

The biggest difference between radio and newspaper ... Deadline pressure. "In newspaper reporting, the pressure kind of ebbs and flows. But with live radio, you always have that rushed feeling of deadline — the idea that you have to deliver right now or the world will immediately end. I love that feeling."

On the importance of honesty ... McIntyre met his wife when both were working at The Morning Journal in Lorain. "I told her one day that everyone at the paper was going bowling. ... Then I conveniently forgot to invite anyone else."