MANHATTAN — Celebrated New York Times media columnist David Carr died Thursday night after collapsing in the newsroom, the newspaper said.
Carr, 58, had moderated a panel earlier that evening with whistleblower Edward Snowden via satellite and journalists Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald at The New School. He returned to the Times' Midtown offices when he collapsed about 9 p.m., the newspaper reported.
Carr was pronounced dead at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, according to the Times. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
"A group of us were with his wife, Jill, and one of his daughters at the hospital. His daughter Erin said he was special, and that he was," said his managing editor, Dean Baquet, in a statement.
Carr, who was the breakout star of the 2011 documentary about the Gray Lady "Page One," had managed to escape an addiction to crack cocaine that overwhelmed his early career to become a beloved and respected media chronicler for the Times.
Baquet fondly remembered Carr's immense talent, tireless humor and leadership in his newsroom.
"He was our biggest champion, and his unending passion for journalism and for truth will be missed by his family at the Times, by his readers around the world and by people who love journalism," the editor said.
Carr's passing came as many in the media were still reeling from the death of longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon who was killed when his livery cab hit another car and crashed Wednesday night.
First Bob Simon and then David Carr. What a terrible weak of death and loss for the world of #journalism
— Marcos Breton (@MarcosBreton) February 13, 2015
