Rising journalism star Michael J. Feeney, a former New York Daily News reporter and immediate past president of the New York Association of Black Journalists, died on Sunday at the age of 32.
The advocate for diversity in newsrooms was about to start his dream job as an entertainment reporter for CNN.com in Atlanta when he fell ill last month.Feeney succumbed to complications of a staph infection in his kidneys, and went intocardiac arrest at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey.
“I am shocked to learn of Michael’s passing,” National Association of Black Journalists President Sarah Glover said in a statement on Sunday. “He was a respected leader within NABJ, having served with distinction as chapter president of the New York Association of Black Journalists for years. His leadership led to that chapter receiving the NABJ Chapter of the Year Award. He was a tenacious journalist who possessed a passion and energy for telling stories reflective of diverse communities stories which otherwise might not have been told.”
