Pioneering Philadelphia Daily News Journalist, Michael Days, Dies At 72

Michael Days, a respected Philadelphia journalist known for mentoring future generations of reporters, died suddenly on Oct. 18 in Trenton, New Jersey, at 72, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

A mentor to many who worked under his leadership at the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer, Days leaves behind his wife, Angela Dodson, an author and journalist, who is being comforted by the outpouring of support and love from journalists who knew him.

“He was the kind of person who wanted to serve,” Dodson said. “People could talk to him, and he had something wise to say.”

A native of North Philadelphia, Days worked at the Wall Street Journal and other newspapers before joining the Daily News as a reporter in 1986. In 2011, he became managing editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, holding various leadership roles until his retirement in October 2020.

Widely respected in journalism, Days received Hall of Fame honors from both the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the Pennsylvania News Media Association. He served as president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) and, at the time of his passing, led NABJ-Philadelphia, a chapter formed as an alternative to PABJ.

“People loved him,” Dodson said. “He commanded such respect that I used to say, people would elect him president of anything.”

As editor at the Daily News, Days played a key role in the decisions that contributed to the paper’s 2010 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, a credit acknowledged by Inquirer senior health reporter Wendy Ruderman, who won the award alongside colleague Barbara Laker.

“You could walk into his office anytime and talk to him,” Ruderman said. “He just was very approachable — but also, you respected him.”

In recent years, Days continued mentoring journalists over long phone calls, which his wife enjoyed listening to.

“What we all need is somebody who listens to us, and he was a master at that,” Dodson said.

Days is survived by his wife, Angela Dodson, three adopted sons, Edward, Andrew, and Umi, and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his adopted son, Adrian. Services will be held on Oct. 25 at Sacred Heart Church, 343 S. Broad Street, Trenton, N.J., with a viewing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by Mass at noon.

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