Christopher Blank
News DirectorMemphis' cultural and historical influences — from Elvis to civil rights to soul music — have been Christopher Blank's favorite subjects since moving here from Florida in the early aughts to be the Commercial Appeal's arts and culture reporter.
As WKNO's News Director for more than a decade, he's been a frequent contributor of news and features to NPR. His numerous awards for both print and radio reporting include 2020 and 2021 Green Eyeshade Awards for Public Service Journalism.
He also serves as Senior Producer for the University of Memphis' Institute for Public Service Reporting. This collaboration with professional and student journalists has resulted in multiple award-winning radio features, most recently for various stories related to immigration and civil rights by the Public Media Journalists Association.
Recent extracurricular projects include co-producing the first full-length recording of the Orpheum Theatre's historic Wurlitzer organ, serving as a production assistant with Company d, which promotes Down syndrome awareness, and writing a popular blog of local theater and arts criticism called The Memphis Review.
Tune in Fridays for his regular Tennessee Politics conversations with political analyst Otis Sanford. Or check out our ongoing Civil Wrongs series for insightful stories about restorative justice.
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A lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the Memphis Safe Task Force’s use of Tennessee’s so-called Halo Law will be heard in federal court. -
As Memphis Mayor Paul Young looks ahead at next year’s reelection campaign, he is also facing growing criticism over his stance on Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI.
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As Memphis enters its season of fall festivals and outdoor events, some of the highest temperatures of the summer remain.
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A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of detainees at 201 Poplar alleges that people held at the county’s criminal justice center face “life-threatening and unconstitutional conditions.”
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Two Memphis City Council Members will be asking the Memphis Safe Task Force to leave the city by next month.
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A federal court has scheduled oral arguments over the legality of the state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools for September 24.
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Shelby County Sheriff Anthony Buckner says a new county jail complex could be built in phases over multiple years, rather than all at once.
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Former Commercial Appeal editor Otis Sanford reflects on why local media covers national events, but also how it has changed in the decades since Sept. 11. -
A federal court has ruled that the Tennessee Valley Authority broke the law when moving forward with new a gas plant near Knoxville.
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This week on WKNO/Channel 10’s “Behind the Headlines,” new Shelby County Sheriff Anthony Buckner joins host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries.
