David Michael Carr (September 8, 1956 – February 12, 2015) was an influential American journalist, columnist, author, newspaper editor, memoirist, blogger, and media commentator, best known for his 'Media Equation' column at The New York Times, where he dissected digital media disruptions and broader cultural shifts in the media industry. His incisive commentary made him a key voice in covering the transformation of journalism and entertainment, and he was quoted by figures like Lewis Dvorkin in media discussions. Carr's distinctive presence was prominently featured in the 2011 documentary 'Page One: Inside the New York Times.' Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Joan Laura Carr (née O'Neill), a local community leader, and John Lawrence Carr, he grew up in the suburb of Minnetonka with three brothers and three sisters. His Midwestern roots informed his perspective on media and culture throughout his career. Carr began his career at alternative weeklies, serving as a reporter and columnist at the Twin Cities Reader and later as executive editor of the Washington City Paper. He joined The New York Times in 2002 and remained there until his death. He was also the author of the acclaimed 2008 memoir 'The Night of the Gun,' in which he applied journalistic rigor to investigate his own past, documenting his harrowing experiences with crack cocaine and alcohol addiction in the 1980s. The book, based on interviews with dozens of people from his past and public records, revealed a history of violence, arrests, and the temporary loss of custody of his twin daughters, challenging the reliability of his own memory and offering an unflinching look at addiction and recovery. After getting clean, he raised his daughters as a single parent, rebuilt his career, and became a mentor to many young journalists, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Lena Dunham. He was also a part-time professor of media studies at Boston University at the time of his death. Carr died suddenly after collapsing in The New York Times newsroom; the cause was lung cancer, with heart disease as a contributing factor.