What’s the best way to figure out what’s happening in Memphis?
In ancient days, all you needed was a newspaper, local TV news, and maybe the nosy neighbor. Nowadays, you’ve still got that, plus scads more sources of information. Here’s our guide.
Dancing at the Crosstown I Love Memphis mural. Photograph by Ziggy Mack / Memphis Tourism
You’re holding in your hands (or, well, reading online) one of the best sources of info about the Bluff City. Memphis magazine has been describing the character of the Mid-South with long-form stories, features, and columns for more than 42 years. We’re happy you’re reading us, and of course you should subscribe, but we’re also glad to list other info sources that tell you more about what’s happening in our fair city. We’re just magnanimous that way.
First, of course, we’ll mention our other award-winning sister publications here at Contemporary Media, Inc. You may already know about the free weekly Memphis Flyer, packed with news, politics, culture (the best source of arts and entertainment in town), and an attitude. And that’s a lot of attitude in newspaper boxes all over town. The CMI umbrella also covers the bimonthly Inside Memphis Business magazine and the free monthly Memphis Parent newspaper, the definitive guide to raising children in the Mid-South.
The Commercial Appeal has been the dominant daily newspaper in the city in one form or another since the nineteenth century. As has happened to other dailies around the country in recent years, the CA has cut back in staff and reporting and now, under current owner Gannett, has outsourced much of the operation, leaving the barest complement of reporters covering far less than it used to. It still, however, prints and delivers daily. (commercialappeal.com)
But there’s a new kid in town, the Daily Memphian (dailymemphian.com), which debuts this fall as an online-only source. With private local funding and a notion to reinvigorate news coverage that the CA has let flag, it raided much of the remaining reporting staff at the CA and hired several others to create this new news entry. It’s an outgrowth of The Daily News, a newspaper that began life in the 1880s covering commerce and will now focus more on public notices and records.
Another business publication of note is the Memphis Business Journal. Its parent company, American City Business Journals, has some 40 other news sites. MBJ has a print version but its digital presence is updated frequently and it offers access to premium business content.
For neighborhood goings-on, you may find the social network Nextdoor useful. It’s a bulletin board with a wide range, from posting about break-ins to items for sale, from inquiries about services to lost dogs. Fascinating to just browse.
Education related information is available on Chalkbeat, a nonprofit group devoted to improving schools. It’s a national endeavor that focuses on seven regions, Tennessee being one of them. If you have any interest in issues regarding schools and education, this should be on your list.
High Ground News is a weekly digital publication that covers a range of issues of importance to Memphis, including neighborhoods, corporate growth, innovation, and economic development.
The Memphis New Tri-State Defender is an African American-centric publication with a long history as one of the longest continuously published African American newspapers in the Southern United States. Its print and online versions cover the gamut of news, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle.
Television, of course, brings you all the new stories that have visuals, and you can find them at WREG-TV News Channel 3, WMC-TV ActionNews5, WHBQ FOX13, and Local Memphis, which is ABC’s WATN-TV Channel 24 and CW’s WLMT-TV Channel 30. Also noteworthy is WKNO-TV Channel 10 and particularly its FM radio companion, particularly for arts coverage.
What makes Memphis Memphis? The answer gets a thorough, ongoing discussion at StoryBoard Memphis, a wide-ranging look at the city’s history with the context of what’s going on today in neighborhoods — all from the viewpoint of several knowledgeable contributors.
There are blogs and sites galore documenting what's going on in town and we shamelessly suggest you first check out the variety of blogs on the Memphis Flyer site: news, politics, music, sports, food, film, and theater. These will keep you plenty busy. Elsewhere:
Choose901 is a Memphis booster run by City Leadership, a nonprofit that aims to attract millennials to town. The site has a lot on it, especially a thorough listing of things to do.
The I Love Memphis Blog is maintained by Memphis Tourism, formerly the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is packed with people, places, lists, and ongoing events.
Political and economic issues get fresh examinations at Smart City Memphis, a part of Smart City Consulting, a public policy and planning group.
The Caramelized blog is a food and entertainment (and stylish) foray into those things that make a good life better.
The award-winning Bigger Than Your Head blog is a wine lover’s necessity. It pulls corks but no punches in its look at wines and the winemaking industry.
Crème de Memph is a blog for those who love to get into the design and history of Memphis.
One of the most fascinating sources to understand Memphis' past is Historic Memphis, a site that delves into the city's yesteryear in stories and photos.
There’s lots more, lots. But this list should get you started.
