Charlie LeDuff facts for kids

Charles Royal LeDuff (born April 1, 1966) is an American journalist, writer, and media personality. He hosts a show called The No BS News Hour with Charlie LeDuff.

LeDuff worked for The New York Times for 12 years. After that, he worked for The Detroit News. In October 2010, he joined WJBK Channel 2, a Fox TV station in Detroit, to report on the news. He left Fox 2 Detroit in December 2016. Charlie LeDuff has won many important journalism awards, including a Pulitzer Prize.

About Charlie LeDuff's Life

Charlie LeDuff was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. He has some Ojibway heritage. As an adult, he learned that his grandfather was Creole, meaning he had both African and French ancestors.

Where Charlie LeDuff Grew Up

LeDuff grew up in Westland, Michigan. He went to Winston Churchill High School in Livonia, Michigan. Later, he attended the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, he was part of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity.

His father served in the U.S. Navy. His parents later divorced. Charlie LeDuff has four living brothers and sisters. He has lived in many different cities and countries. Before joining The New York Times, LeDuff worked as a schoolteacher and a carpenter in Michigan. He also worked in a cannery in Alaska and as a baker in Denmark.

Charlie LeDuff's Family and Beliefs

LeDuff used to live with his wife, Amy Kuzniar, and his daughter in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan. This is a suburb north of Detroit. He considers himself a political independent. This means he doesn't strongly support one political party. He is also a practicing Roman Catholic. LeDuff is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa tribe of Michigan.

Charlie LeDuff's Career in Writing

Charlie LeDuff has mentioned several books and writers that influenced his work. These include Hop on Pop, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Grapes of Wrath, and Treasure Island. He also admired writers like Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway. For newspaper writing, he looked up to Mike Royko and Jimmy Breslin.

Charlie LeDuff's Journalism Work

After finishing his studies at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, LeDuff started working at The New York Times. He was a staff reporter there from 1995 to 2007. He ended his time at The Times working from their Los Angeles office.

LeDuff explained that he left The Times because he wanted to write about certain topics more freely. He wanted to discuss important issues like different social groups and economic classes.

LeDuff is well-known for his work on a 2001 New York Times project. This project, called "How Race Is Lived in America", won a Pulitzer Prize. It was a ten-part series, and one of LeDuff's pieces was titled "At a Slaughterhouse Some Things Never Die". In 1999, he received the Mike Berger Award for his excellent writing about New York City.

From August to November 2006, LeDuff wrote a series for The New York Times called American Album. This series included articles and videos that showed "portraits of offbeat Americans." He wrote about a woman working at a Burger King in Dallas and a soldier from Alaska who was believed to be the first Inuk (Eskimo) killed in the Iraq war. LeDuff has also reported on the war in Iraq. He has also followed Mexican migrants crossing the border. He also wrote about a Brooklyn fire station after the 9/11 events.

In January 2022, The Guardian published an article by LeDuff and Jordan Chariton. This article discussed the Flint water scandal. They talked about why certain charges had not been filed in the case.

Charlie LeDuff's Books

Charlie LeDuff has written four books:

• Work and Other Sins: Life in New York City and Thereabouts (2005)
• US Guys: The True and Twisted Mind of the American Man (2008)
• Detroit: An American Autopsy (2013)
• Sh...!: The Country's Collapsing and the Ratings Are Great (2018)

Charlie LeDuff's Television Career

LeDuff worked on a special project with The Times and the Discovery Channel. He helped create a show called Only in America. In this show, LeDuff tried out different jobs and experiences. He played on a semi-professional football team and raced with thoroughbred horses. He also joined a circus and preached in Appalachia.

On July 14, 2006, LeDuff was featured in a documentary on the British channel BBC Four. The show was called United Gates of America. In it, he explored life in a gated community called Canyon Lake.

In December 2010, LeDuff became a reporter for WJBK, the Fox TV station in Detroit. In 2012, a video of his report on Meals on Wheels became very popular online. In July 2012, LeDuff's unique report about playing golf through neglected parts of Detroit also gained national attention. This included the old Packard factory. His series, The Americans, shared human interest stories about changes in the American economy and culture. These stories were shown on other Fox TV stations.

On November 10, 2013, LeDuff was a main guest on a Detroit-focused episode of the CNN series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. In February 2015, Vice News announced that LeDuff would be a regular writer for them. On December 1, 2016, LeDuff announced he was leaving WJBK Fox 2 Detroit. He planned to stay in Michigan. In 2016, LeDuff started working at Detroit's American Coney Island diner as a handyman. He also worked on writing a book during this time. In 2018, he began writing a weekly column for Deadline Detroit.

Charlie LeDuff's Radio and Podcasting Career

In September 2018, LeDuff started The No BS News Hour with Charlie LeDuff. This is a livestreamed podcast that talks about news, often focusing on Detroit. It is part of a group of podcasts started by Detroit radio personality Drew Lane. A month after it started, in October 2018, Detroit radio station WFDF (AM) 910 began airing the show.