
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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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.
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Bob Odenkirk strikes gold again in his latest TV series, Lucky Hank. Playing to type, he makes the laconic, dissatisfied and restless title character likable and relatable.
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Who will permanently fill Trevor Noah's chair on Comedy Central's news satire show? Guest hosts include Leslie Jones, Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, D.L. Hughley and Hasan Minhaj.
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Advertisers spent up to $7 million for every 30 seconds of airtime during Super Bowl LVII. Here's a sampling of what worked – and didn't – in the most expensive ad showcase on American television.
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Kimmel says he thought he was going to stop; then he didn't.
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The best thing about the start of a new year, especially in media, is the excitement of fresh possibilities. TV critic Eric Deggans says some big stars are in exciting projects this spring.
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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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As major platforms like Netflix and Disney+ roll out cheaper subscription tiers and crack down on password sharing, a new NPR/Ipsos poll reveals that consumers are focused on three important criteria when they make decisions about TV streaming services: cost, content and ease of use.
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This is an old debate and one the TV news industry seems to have already decided — but until someone is seriously injured doing this kind of reporting, it will continue.
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The movie's gritty, authentic depiction of street life and its flamboyant lead character created archetypes that have inspired legions of future storytellers and musicians.
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Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died on Tuesday, played with a deceptively simple style that took some fans time to appreciate.