{{Short description|American newspaper columnist and radio personality}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=January 2022}} {{Primary sources|date=October 2025}} }} thumb|Dan Rodricks on the set of one of his Baltimore plays, 2024

'''Dan Rodricks''' is a former longtime columnist for ''The Baltimore Sun'' newspapers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/balnews-dan-rodricks-20130507-staff.html|title=Dan Rodricks|author=Baltimore Sun|date=21 July 2012|work=baltimoresun.com}}</ref> and former host of the [http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/dan-rodricks-blog/ Roughly Speaking podcast] for baltimoresun.com. He was previously the host of Midday, a two-hour, daily talk show on WYPR FM 88.1, the NPR station in Baltimore, and the host of "Rodricks For Breakfast" on WMAR-TV, (Channel 2). He is also an author and playwright.

A native of East Bridgewater, Mass., a 1972 graduate of that South Shore town's high school and of the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, Rodricks' newspaper career started with ''The Patiot Ledger'' in Quincy, Mass.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

After arriving in Baltimore from New England in 1976, Rodricks started writing a column on a wide range of topics for the former afternoon paper, ''The Evening Sun'', in 1979.{{cn|date=April 2026}} The column appeared three times per week. The column moved to the newly consolidated morning and evening editions of ''The Sun'' in 1990.{{cn|date=April 2026}} It was one of the longest-running newspaper columns in the U.S. until Rodricks resigned from ''The Sun'' in January 2025.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

Rodricks' "Dear Drug Dealers" series<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-rodricks-rehab,0,2286828.storygallery|title=Dear drug dealers|author=Baltimore Sun|date=10 July 2013|work=baltimoresun.com}}</ref> in ''The Sun'', a public call for an end to criminal violence in Baltimore, won the 2006 "Excellence in Urban Journalism Award" from the Freedom Forum and the Enterprise Foundation (established by Gannett Newspapers) and the 2005 "Public Service Award" from the Chesapeake Associated Press. Thousands of ex-felons and incarcerated prisoners over the years contacted Rodricks seeking help in post-prison employment.

Rodricks won national awards, including the "National Headliners Award" for commentary and the "Heywood Broun Award" from the Newspaper Guild for columns that championed the underdog. His columns won numerous awards from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

From 1980 to 1993, Rodricks produced a weekly commentary or feature for WBAL-TV's 5 pm newscast. From 1989 until 1993, he hosted a nightly talk show on WBAL-AM (1090), as well as a five-hour Saturday morning radio show that ran until 1995. His radio documentary, "Along The River," won the Silver Medal in an international broadcast competition in 1993. Rodricks hosted a live, local-interest weekend television show, "Rodricks For Breakfast," on WMAR-TV from January 1995 until October 1999.

His daily, two-hour Midday radio show ran on WYPR-FM from 2008 until 2015, when Rodricks created the Roughly Speaking podcast for ''The Baltimore Sun''. The podcast was retired after 450 episodes in 2019.

Rodricks was awarded a [https://www.mcdaniel.edu/about-us/profiles/dan-rodricks-doctor-journalism doctorate in journalism] from McDaniel College in 2023

A collection of Rodricks' columns, "Mencken Doesn't Live Here Anymore," was published in 1989. His second book, "Father's Day Creek: Fly Fishing, Fatherhood and The Last Best Place on Earth," was published by Apprentice House in 2019.

Rodricks resigned from ''The Baltimore Sun'' in January 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rodricks |first1=Dan |title=In Baltimore, a dream job and a wonderful life. Thank you. {{!}} STAFF COMMENTARY |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/01/10/rodricks-final-column/ |access-date=January 10, 2025 |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=January 10, 2025}}</ref> In an interview with WYPR radio host Tom Hall, Rodricks said that he wasn't ready to retire from ''The Sun'', but was driven to leave the paper because of changes made under its new owners, David D. Smith and conservative columnist Armstrong Williams. Later that month, it was announced that Rodricks would become a writer for the Baltimore Brew<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shen |first1=Fern |title=A new Baltimore Brew contributor: Former Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks |url=https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2025/01/25/a-new-baltimore-brew-contributor-former-baltimore-sun-columnist-dan-rodricks/ |access-date=January 25, 2025 |work=Baltimore Brew |date=January 25, 2025 |language=en-us}}</ref> and a columnist for the Baltimore Fishbowl.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nitkin |first1=David |title=From the editors: Dan Rodricks gains new home at Baltimore Fishbowl |url=https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/editors-note-dan-rodricks-gains-new-home-at-baltimore-fishbowl/ |access-date=January 25, 2025 |work=Baltimore Fishbowl |date=January 24, 2025}}</ref> He also established himself as a timely and insightful national columnist on Substack.

Dan Rodricks has written, produced and appeared in [https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/dan-rodricks-profile-former-sun-columnist-brings-writing-reporting-talents-to-playwriting-theatrical-stage/ three plays about his adopted hometown]<ref>Baltimore Magazine (January 2026): After a lifetime in print, Dan Rodricks brings his talents to the stage</ref>: "Baltimore, You Have No Idea," "Baltimore Docket" and "No Mean City: Baltimore 1966." Baltimore magazine named him the city's best playwright in 2024. He also created and performed a one-man show about growing up in Massachusetts, entitled, "Wicked Good: A South Shore Anthology."

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.baltimoresun.com/balnews-dan-rodricks-20130507-staff.html link to columns]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodricks, Dan}} Category:American columnists Category:American newspaper editors Category:American radio personalities Category:Writers from Baltimore Category:People from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:The Baltimore Sun people Category:University of Bridgeport alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)