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Charlie LeDuff, the former New York Times and Detroit News reporter that every passerby on the streets of Detroit says "hi" to, will now regularly contribute to Vice News, the outlet's editor-in-chief said Tuesday.
LeDuff, a charismatic and boisterous dude who cuts powerful segments for his national Fox show "The Americans," filed his first offering in his new role on Tuesday. He zeroed-in on James Robertson, the Detroiter who became known worldwide for his 21-mile commute to work by foot, and the problems he faced after a spur-of-the-moment crowdfunding campaign netted him $350,000 and a new 2015 Ford Focus. LeDuff wrote:
After that, everybody knew him. And everybody wanted something. The neighborhood started showing up on his porch with their palms out, though Robertson has yet to receive any of the money. His girlfriend — the one who owns the house and charges him 200 bucks for the bedroom — demanded a payout, he said. So did her ex-husband who lives with them. So did her adult son who lives with them. So did the other dude who lives with them.
LeDuff, according to the Poynter Institute, will continue "The Americans" in tandem with his correspondent role at Vice. Jason Mojica, Vice News' editor in chief, told Poynter that LeDuff captures the spirit of what life in America is like today.
“There is nobody out there who is doing better reporting on life in America than Charlie,”Mojica told Poynter in an email. “The way he connects with people is just magic and his is some of the most human reporting being done today.”
