Dick Haefner
WJR Special Correspondent Dick Haefner is one of the most recognizable news voices in Detroit. His 50-plus-year news career ~ all of it spent here in Detroit ~ led him to cover, and in many cases break, some of our region’s biggest stories.
As WJR’s news director, a role he retired from in December 2020, the station was honored with nearly every national and local news award in the broadcast business. Awards include the Peabody Award, the Associated Press National Award for Best Broadcast Reporting, several Edward R. Murrow awards, and numerous state news awards. His most recent personal awards were for “Best Newscast” and “Best Feature” in 2019 from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.
In 2005, Dick was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His diagnosis spurred his reporter instincts, with research that led him to become one of the first patients to undergo robotic surgery. He tracked his own surgery and recovery as a reporter, and used his experience to produce the series, “Robots in The O-R.” This series remains as the only radio production to win the National Association of Medical Communicators Award, the top honor in the field of health and medical reporting.
