It’s more than just a game to Mike Tirico
Legendary NBC sports broadcaster Mike Tirico was one of the big names at the Mackinac Policy Conference this year. Tirico...
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.
Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.
Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.
His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
Who has access to cash in the city? Black Leaders Detroit aims to widen the pot
Dwan Dandridge founded Black Leaders Detroit in 2019 to help increase access to cash for Black entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders in...
Fire destroys Traffic Jam & Snug
A massive fire ripped through a popular Midtown Detroit restaurant Friday. Traffic Jam & Snug is located at Canfield...
Who created Detroit techno? New documentary shines light on pioneering musicians
A documentary that shines a light on the visionaries behind Detroit Techno is getting a premiere at the Tribeca Festival...
Monica Blaire stops apologizing, starts producing on new album “How To Dress Well in the Dark”
Monica Blaire has been a staple in Detroit’s music scene for over two decades. Even after all that time,...
The 2022 Detroit Jazz Festival lineup highlights voices old and new
The Detroit Jazz Festival attracts thousands of people every year. For some, it can even feel like a religious experience....
Progressive Art Studio Collective brings the arts to disabled adults in Detroit
Alsendoe Owens, “Red Face” (2021), watercolor and marker on paper Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC) program manager Anthony Marcellini says...
Life of civil rights icon becomes an opera with “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X”
“X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” opens with a heart-wrenching scene in East Lansing and tells the story...
From Detroit to Broadway and back: Actor Joe Joseph returns home with “The Band’s Visit”
Joe Joseph watched "The Band’s Visit" during previews on Broadway. At the time, he didn’t think he’d end up...
Freep Film Festival brings diverse array of documentaries to Detroit
If you’re looking for a Michigan-centric documentaries that run the gamut from failed pizzeria owner who invented the modern-day...
Larry “the Drummer” Hull, a Detroit legend, has died
The Cass Corridor is quiet after the death of a musical staple of the Detroit neighborhood. Larry “the Drummer”...
“Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back” captures highs and tensions of tap dancer’s storied career
With a showbiz career that spans seven decades, "Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back" is not your typical talking head documentary film....