Michael Days remembered as a trailblazer for diversity in journalism

Michael Days, a pioneering editor and tireless advocate for diversity in America’s newsrooms who shepherded the Philadelphia Daily News to a 2010 Pulitzer Prize win for investigative journalism, died Saturday after suffering a heart attack in Trenton, New Jersey. He was 72.

As executive editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, known as the “People’s Paper,” and a lifelong member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Days challenged the industry’s white-male-dominated newsrooms to not only reflect the Black communities they served but to tell their stories.

Before retiring in 2020, he served as a senior manager and executive at the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the time of his death, he was president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

“It is with a very heavy heart that NABJ Philadelphia mourns the sudden passing of our President Michael I. Days, a respected journalist, mentor, and cherished friend whose legendary career and commitment to excellence inspired us all,” wrote NABJ-Philadelphia Vice President Melanie Burney, an education reporter at The Inquirer.

Tributes flooded social media during the weekend as friends, mentees, and former colleagues from across the country spoke of Days’ impact on their lives and careers, and on the news coverage in his native Philadelphia.

Former Los Angeles Times executive editor Kevin Merida described Days on Facebook as a “model of calm, confident leadership,…[one who] exuded poise and fearlessness amid all the challenges our industry faced and he personally faced.”

Philadelphia journalist and Pulitzer winner Barbara Laker called him a “brilliant editor,” the “kindest man” she’s ever known, and the “patriarch” of the quirky Daily News newsroom. “He led us without bluster or ego,” Laker wrote on Facebook. “He just did the right thing. Always. He’d constantly fight for us behind the scenes and never expected an acknowledgment – even a thank you.” 

In 2017, the National Association of Black Journalists paid homage to Days, inducting him into its Hall of Fame, an honor given to journalists who make outstanding contributions to the industry. Days once described the NABJ recognition as “one of the best days” of his life.

Current NABJ President Errin Haines said Days exuded a quiet authority and tremendous generosity, demonstrating “the very best” of what it means to be a journalist and a leader.

“He believed in truth, fairness, and the power of journalism to uplift communities,” Haines said in a prepared statement. “Through his mentorship and throughout his career, he opened doors for so many Black journalists as he rose to the heights of journalism in his hometown, earning the admiration and respect of so many across our industry.”

A son of Philadelphia, Days grew up near Temple University and graduated from Roman Catholic High School. He went on to graduate from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Missouri. 

After working at The Wall Street Journal and other papers, Days joined the Daily News in 1986 and moved up the ranks during a 25-year career at the tabloid, from reporter to business editor to managing editor to editor. 

A beloved and popular figure in the newsroom, known for his directness and infectious laughter, the staff burst into applause at the announcement that Days would become the tabloid’s managing editor. 

At the time of the appointment, Days reportedly became one of only 14 Black managing editors in the country, according to a list created by NABJ’s Don Hudson.

He would later serve on the national board of the now-defunct Associated Press Media Editors and write a book about President Obama, “Obama’s Legacy: What He Accomplished As President.” 

On Monday, WURD radio host Solomon Jones, Burney and Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong remembered Days as one of the journalism community’s north stars.

“He challenged us to confront the issues that are very real, not only in our newsrooms, but in our society…That was the beauty of Michael Days,” Burney said after listening to a clip of Days saying how necessary it is for racism to be called out. 

“He spent his life fighting for better journalism because he understood its limitations, and when it came to diversity, its flaws,” Gabriel Escobar, the executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote.

Days is survived by his wife, journalist and author Angela Dodson;  three sons, Edward, Andrew, and Umi; and three grandchildren. His son Adrian preceded him in death.

This article was previously published by URL Media. It appears here courtesy of the original publisher.