ENGAGEMENTS

Book Eric Deggans

Eric Deggans is an award-winning journalist who has covered TV. media, music and pop culture for more than 20 years. Currently serving as TV critic and media analyst for NPR, Eric served as TV/Media Critic for the Tampa Bay Times newspaper and has appeared on PBS’ NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and the Tom Joyner Morning Show, among other outlets.

He has lectured or delivered presentations at Columbia University, Loyola University, Indiana University and California State University, among other schools. He has also delivered keynote addresses for the International Communication Association, the University of South Florida Honors Program, and The National Scholastic Press Association.

Now, he’d like to bring those insights — developed over decades of thinking, writing and speaking out — to your event as a keynote speaker!

Upcoming Events

February 14, 2025

  • Eric at Collards After Dark fundraiser

    February 14, 2025  5:30 pm - 9:30 pm Studio@620, 620 First Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL

    WUSF Public Media and the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival Inc., in partnership with Urban Drinkery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Ja'Vin's Culinary, and Roam Steakhouse, proudly presents Collards After Dark, a dynamic and impactful fundraiser dedicated to addressing health and equity disparities in our community. Join us at The Studio@620 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM on Friday, February 14th, for an extraordinary Valentine’s evening filled with inspiration, culture, and connection.

    This exclusive event features award-winning journalist Eric Deggans, who will share insights on media and its role in shaping our society, followed by a book signing for his critically acclaimed work, “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.” Pre-order your copy for $34.99 and have it personally signed at the event!

    Indulge in an array of mouthwatering dishes prepared by the winners of the TBCGF Inc. & American Culinary Federation Tampa Bay High School Recipe Contest, while sipping on expertly crafted beverages courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka and the curated selections from Urban Drinkery.

    More than just an evening of culinary and cultural excellence, Collards After Dark is an opportunity to join a movement. Your participation helps fuel TBCGF’s mission to combat health inequities and promote wellness through initiatives like the I ❤️ Greens 5K & Fitness Extravaganza, Ready 5K Programs, "Ask a Practitioner" Series, Golden Resources Connections Program, Fit & Empowered Camps, and more.

    https://mytbtickets.com/events/tbcgf-inc-presents-collards-after-dark-2025-2-14-2025

    See more details

What Others Say

Michael Uth
“We hosted Eric as part of a company-wide awareness initiative focused courage, especially moral courage. Consistent with this theme, we challenged him with a sensitive topic – how to have difficult conversations about race. His skill in approaching this topic in an accessible, non-threatening, productive way gave us the opportunity to think deeply and learn a lot, and earned him overwhelmingly positive feedback."
Michael Uth

Corporate Compliance and Ethics Officer, The Progressive Corporation

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
“No one breaks down the complexity of race, media, and popular culture more cogently than Eric Deggans.  Witnessing him speak in person (which I did at Harvard), with his informative, entertaining and interactive PowerPoint, and his utterly engaging ‘teacherly’ persona, is even more rewarding than hearing his NPR commentaries, which are always masterfully superb.  No one teaches me more about contemporary media than Eric Deggans.”
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Host of the PBS series Finding Your Roots and chair of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard

TEDx speech: How to Talk About Race Across Race Lines

Eric Deggans' final thought on race baiting

Eric talks the evolution of Jon Stewart on The Daily Show