# Dan Rodricks > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dan_Rodricks > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dan_Rodricks.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rodricks > Source revision: 1351183678 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/The_Baltimore_Sun)'' [newspaper](/source/newspaper)s,{{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}} 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](/source/WYPR) FM 88.1, the [NPR](/source/NPR) station in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore), and the host of "Rodricks For Breakfast" on [WMAR-TV](/source/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](/source/New_England) in 1976, Rodricks started writing a column on a wide range of topics for the former afternoon paper, [''The Evening Sun''](/source/Baltimore_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''](/source/Baltimore_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{{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}} 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](/source/Freedom_Forum) and the [Enterprise Foundation](/source/Enterprise_Foundation) (established by [Gannett Newspapers](/source/Gannett_Newspapers)) and the 2005 "Public Service Award" from the [Chesapeake Associated Press](/source/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](/source/Heywood_Broun_Award)" from the [Newspaper Guild](/source/Newspaper_Guild) for columns that championed the underdog. His columns won numerous awards from the [Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association](/source/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](/source/talk_show) on [WBAL-AM](/source/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.{{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}} In an interview with [WYPR](/source/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](/source/David_D._Smith) and conservative columnist [Armstrong Williams](/source/Armstrong_Williams). Later that month, it was announced that Rodricks would become a writer for the [Baltimore Brew](/source/Baltimore_Brew){{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}} and a columnist for the Baltimore Fishbowl.{{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}} 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]Baltimore Magazine (January 2026): After a lifetime in print, Dan Rodricks brings his talents to the stage: "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] {{authority control}} {{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) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dan Rodricks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rodricks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rodricks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.