Set to start dream job, reporter dies at 32

A former reporter for The Daily News in New York, Michael J. Feeney, was about to start his dream job as an entertainment reporter with CNN when he became sick last week. On Sunday, Mr. Feeney died in a New Jersey hospital of complications from a staph infection in his kidneys, his mother, Reba Willis, said.

Mr. Feeney, who was 32, went into cardiac arrest at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, N.J., the town where he grew up, just west of New York City, according to an obituary in The News. His sudden death was mourned by many in the journalism world, from reporters who worked with him on the city’s crime beat to those who fought alongside him to improve diversity in American newsrooms.

Mr. Feeney started working for The News in 2009, first on the night shift and later covering Harlem and other uptown neighborhoods. He also covered culture and entertainment. He had recently been hired by CNN and was preparing to move to Atlanta when he became sick, Ms. Willis said.

Mr. Feeney was an advocate for black journalists, dedicated to increasing diversity in newsroom staffing and coverage. In 2010, he was named the emerging journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists, the organization said in a release. In 2011, he was elected to serve as the group’s New York chapter president.

As a freelancer, Mr. Feeney covered the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray for NBC BLK. He covered entertainment and culture for The Record in North Jersey and news and entertainment for TheGrio.com. He also contributed to Ebony magazine and worked for The Associated Press.

Mr. Feeney attended Delaware State University, graduating in 2005 with a degree in mass communications and print journalism. He maintained close ties with his alma mater, delivering a convocation speech to students at the start of the school year in 2014. “Figure out your goals and do whatever you have to do to achieve them,” he said in the speech. “If you face adversity, find a way to get through it. If you fail, get up. If you find success, keep it going and be the best Hornet you can be,” he said, referring to the school mascot.