Eric Deggans
Eric Deggans is NPR's first full-time TV critic.
Deggans came to NPR in 2013 from the Tampa Bay Times, where he served a TV/Media Critic and in other roles for nearly 20 years. A journalist for more than 20 years, he is also the author of Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation, a look at how prejudice, racism and sexism fuels some elements of modern media, published in October 2012, by Palgrave Macmillan.
Deggans is also currently a media analyst/contributor for MSNBC and NBC News. In August 2013, he guest hosted CNN's media analysis show Reliable Sources, joining a select group of journalists and media critics filling in for departed host Howard Kurtz. The same month, Deggans was awarded the Florida Press Club's first-ever Diversity award, honoring his coverage of issues involving race and media. He received the Legacy award from the National Association of Black Journalists' A&E Task Force, an honor bestowed to "seasoned A&E journalists who are at the top of their careers." And in 2019, he was named winner of the American Sociological Association's Excellence in the Reporting of Social Justice Issues Award.
In 2019, Deggans served as the first African American chairman of the board of educators, journalists and media experts who select the George Foster Peabody Awards for excellence in electronic media.
He also has joined a prestigious group of contributors to the first ethics book created in conjunction with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies for journalism's digital age: The New Ethics of Journalism, published in August 2013, by Sage/CQ Press.
From 2004 to 2005, Deggans sat on the then-St. Petersburg Times editorial board and wrote bylined opinion columns. From 1997 to 2004, he worked as TV critic for the Times, crafting reviews, news stories and long-range trend pieces on the state of the media industry both locally and nationally. He originally joined the paper as its pop music critic in November 1995. He has worked at the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and both the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Press newspapers in Pennsylvania.
Now serving as chair of the Media Monitoring Committee for the National Association of Black Journalists, he has also served on the board of directors for the national Television Critics Association and on the board of the Mid-Florida Society of Professional Journalists.
Additionally, he worked as a professional drummer in the 1980s, touring and performing with Motown recording artists The Voyage Band throughout the Midwest and in Osaka, Japan. He continues to perform with area bands and recording artists as a drummer, bassist and vocalist.
Deggans earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and journalism from Indiana University.
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All nine seasons of the classic sitcom Seinfeld debut on Netflix this week. But some aspects of the show might not work for modern audiences.
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Jon Stewart begins a new show which will examine a particular problem from many different sides. His biggest challenge may be transcending the long shadow cast by his turn as host of 'The Daily Show.'
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The documentary about Britney Spears debuts Tuesday on Netflix. It is about the singer's battle against her father, who she's accused of "conservatorship abuse."
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Netflix's royal family drama The Crown and Apple TV+'s comedy Ted Lasso scored major wins at the Emmys. Despite honoring a roster of deserving and well-liked shows, the ceremony fell a bit flat.
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Days before the Emmy winners are announced, NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans hands out his own awards — The Deggys — for shows that should be recognized.
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On his new Comedy Central show, Tha God's Honest Truth With Lenard "Charlamagne" McKelvey, the radio host says he will offer an unapologetically Black take on issues.
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For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a look back at how TV was transformed by the nation's biggest terrorist attack.
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FX's American Crime Story returns with a bold take on the Clinton impeachment. The story of the affair leaves few characters unscathed, including Monica Lewinsky — one of the show's producers.
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Emmy nominated actor Michael K. Williams has died at age 54. He won the hearts of fans in the role of Omar in The Wire. Williams was found dead Monday afternoon in his apartment in Brooklyn.
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The fall broadcast and streaming season begins with splashy series — from the return of Succession to the new FX miniseries about Bill Clinton's impeachment.
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As with Finding Neverland and recent docs about Woody Allen and Britney Spears, Surviving R. Kelly played a critical role in exposing years of abuse — and producing a new must-watch genre.