Stephen Henderson (born November 23, 1970) is an American journalist. Henderson won the 2014
Pulitzer Prize for commentary
The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary is an award administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism "for distinguished commentary, using any available journalistic tool". It is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are ...
and the 2014
National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists, the NABJ's stated purpose is to provide quality p ...
Journalist of the Year Award while writing for the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
''.
Henderson is the host o
Detroit Todaya weekday talk show that features conversations about inequality of all kinds, democratic and civic participation and great ideas from contemporary books. It airs 9-10 am weekdays on WDET-FM, Detroit's NPR station.
He is also the host of Detroit Public Television'
American Black Journal a weekly talk show featuring African American perspectives on topics around arts, culture, and community issues important to the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and the nation.
Following allegations of his inappropriate sexual behavior, Henderson was terminated by the ''Detroit Free Press'' in December 2017. After Henderson threatened to sue, Gannett, the paper's owner, agreed to a settlement. (https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/20583/gannett_blinks_henderson_gains_payout_to_avert_potential_suit_over_freep_firing)
Early life and education
A native of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, Michigan, Henderson graduated from the
University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1988 and the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in 1992.
Career
Henderson has worked for the ''
Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'', the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', the ''
Lexington Herald-Leader
The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second large ...
'', and
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, it was the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspaper brand ...
as a reporter, editorial writer and editor.
He was the Editorial Page Editor and a columnist for the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' from 2009 to 2017.
[
Henderson has hosted the daily talk show "Detroit Today" on ]WDET
WDET-FM (101.9 MHz) is a public radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Broadcasting from Wayne State University in the city's Cass Corridor neighborhood, about a mile south of the New Center neighborhood, WDET broadcasts original programming and ...
since 2015, and he hosts the weekly talk show "American Black Journal" on Detroit Public Television and co-hosts the news show "MiWeek" on Detroit Public Television. In 2014 he won both the Pulitzer Prize for commentary and the National Association of Black Journalists Journalist of the Year Award for his writing on Detroit's financial crisis. He is also a two-time winner of the Scripps Howard Award for Commentary.
In 2016, Henderson wrote that Michiganders should take legislators who took money to shield Michigan's charter schools from oversight, "sew them into burlap sacks with rabid animals, and toss them into the Straits of Mackinac",. After a backlash from conservatives, he tweeted that his remark was "hyperbole."
"Everyone knows I don't have access to that much burlap," he said.
On December 6, 2017, Rev. W.J. Rideout III, pastor of Our God’s People Church in Detroit, held a press conference to accuse the Detroit news media of covering up sexual harassment cases, including accusations of Henderson sexually harassing female coworkers.
Rideout, who hosted a talk show on Detroit's 910 AM, was then suspended by radio station management because he did not identify the alleged victims. In response to Rideout's press conference, the ''Free Press'' conducted an internal investigation into the allegations. After the internal review, Henderson was fired from the ''Detroit Free Press'' for "inappropriate behavior" towards female employees that had occurred over several years. In response to his firing, Henderson said on his own radio show that he apologized to the women involved and said it was "bad judgement" on his part, but he also said that he disagreed with the decision by the ''Free Press'' and would be "exploring legal action."
Henderson's attorney has said there was no lawsuit and that a settlement was reached in July 2018 between her client Henderson and his former employers at the ''Detroit Free Press''.
Personal
Henderson lives in Detroit with his two children.
Awards
*1993 Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting
*2001 American Society of Newspaper Editors
The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
Prize for editorial writing[
*2014 ]Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary is an award administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism "for distinguished commentary, using any available journalistic tool". It is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are ...
*2014 National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists, the NABJ's stated purpose is to provide quality p ...
Journalist of the Year Award[
*2014 Scripps Howard Award for Commentary
*2016 Scripps Howard Award for Commentary]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Stephen
1970 births
Living people
African-American journalists
Writers from Detroit
University of Michigan alumni
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy alumni
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary winners
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people