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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The new Hulu show takes a close look at the struggle by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi to overcome vocal problems which nearly led him to quit the band.
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Filmmaker Morgan Neville dives into a surprisingly enigmatic comic in his two-part Apple TV+ documentary.
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Stewart eased back into the host's chair Monday night without missing a beat, firing off jokes with a familiar style that felt like he had left just a few weeks ago, rather than in 2015.
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Costs have gone way up and there are so many options — but we are here to help. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans suggests some streaming strategy best practices and looks carefully at the major providers.
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The gig will go on through the 2024 elections, according to Comedy Central. It's a throwback for Stewart, who spent 16 years hosting the show.
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Whether you plan to head out to the theater or binge from the couch, our critics have gathered together their favorite films and TV shows of the year. Happy watching!
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It makes a certain kind of sense that Netflix's The Crown is ending now – as criticisms for the series' depiction of Britain's royal family have grown and its status as one of TV's most acclaimed dramas has eroded.
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The Crown shifts seamlessly from highly accurate depictions to invented moments. In its sixth season, deeply personal scenes once again may make viewers wonder if what they're seeing really happened.
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What's the easiest way to create a new version of the classic sitcom Frasier for the streaming era? Clone the original series with new characters who provide the same functions as the old ones.
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The strike meant the hosts were sidelined for about five months and their return reminds us that satire helps us process the absurdities of modern life and politics.
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Little Richard: I Am Everything focuses on the star's roots in — and struggle with — his connection to queer culture. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a masterpiece.
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Beloved characters and eye-popping special effects return in this adventure-of-the-week format.