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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Making responsible use of public dollars has raised questions about spending on AutoZone Park and by local officials and political candidates. -
Officials say a recent series of bomb threats made at 40 zoos across the country included one made in April at the Memphis Zoo. -
This week on WKNO/Channel 10’s “Behind the Headlines,” Shelby County Election Commission’s Administrator of Elections, Linda Phillips, and Shelby County Election Commission Chairman, Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. join host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries. -
A group of doctors is challenging a revised state law requiring children to prove legal status before accessing life-saving care.
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SpaceX has told City of Memphis leadership it will restart work on its stalled water recycling facility by the beginning of 2027.
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Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo said he will not seek reelection in November, marking an end of three terms in that job and 22 years in elected office.
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MLGW is taking steps to make its electric grid more resilient.
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The new state takeover board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools had its first meeting in Nashville.
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Republicans see a pattern of problems that justify further interventions in local government. -
The promise of free admission for Shelby County residents is part of larger mission to make the visual arts more visible.
