The journalism world lost a young aspiring writer, Michael J. Feeney. Feeney of Teaneck was a former reporter for The New York Daily News and served as president of the Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) – New York Chapter for four years. He was 32.
Feeney died of complications from a staph infection of the kidneys. He was the recipient of the national organization’s Emerging Journalist of the Year Award in 2010. He was set to start a new job with CNN.com in Atlanta as an entertainment writer.
He graduated from Delaware State University in 2005. His former journalism professor and NABJ founder DeWayne Wickham said, “He was an immensely talented young black man for whom — like far too many of our young black men — death came way too early.”
Sarah Glover, President of NABJ took to the association’s website to speak about Feeney. “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.”
Feeney worked with the Daily News, The Record in New Jersey, as a reporter for The Associated Press in Detroit and an AP intern in Baltimore. As a freelance writer, he wrote about Fetty Wap, the hip hop artist from Paterson and his last article was published on January 6 about a young fruit- and vegetable-juice entrepreneur in Englewood.
The Record’s former multimedia editor, Thomas E. Franklin worked with Feeney on many assignments. “Mike was interested not only in writing the story, but doing the photos and video, too. “I taught him how to shoot video, and he embraced it. He had a great understanding for the other parts of storytelling, not just the words and text.”
Many celebrities took to Twitter to remember him:
Just heard that Michael Feeney , young dynamic journalist died this morning. A good brother and fine journalist. Sad news, RIP Michael. @TheRevAl
Big loss for @NABJ and @apa1906NETwork: Journalist Michael@mfeeney died this morning. He was a rising star. Sad. @rolandsmartin
Journalist. Leader. Rising star. My condolences to the friends and family of @mfeeney. Rest in peace. @BilldeBlasio
His mother remembers him catching the journalism bug when he was a high school senior. When speaking of her son, she said: “Once you met Mike, you wanted to be in his circle. He had thousands of friends on Facebook. Everybody who was involved with him admired him and looked up to him. I looked up to him, and not just because he was taller than me. He was my hero.”
Feeney is survived by his mother, twin brother, Anthony, and half-sister, Maria.
– Emily Aikens
