Graham promoted to editor of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis

CINCINNATI, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Graham, managing editor of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis since January 2011, has been promoted to editor, effective immediately. He replaces Chris Peck, who retired in March.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Commercial Appeal is one of the oldest and largest news organizations in The E.W. Scripps Company's (NYSE: SSP) portfolio. The Commercial Appeal engages readers and serves advertisers across a growing array of print and digital platforms.

"In 33 years at The Commercial Appeal, Louis Graham has earned the trust of the Memphis newsroom and the larger community," said Mizell Stewart III, vice president of content for the Scripps newspaper division. "No one is better connected or better positioned to lead The Commercial Appeal's digital transformation, serving readers on tablet, web, smartphone and print."

Graham, 56, began his journalism career as a reporter at The Commercial Appeal in 1979. In addition to covering local government, courts and business, Graham spent more than a decade as a senior writer for projects and investigations, helping to position the newspaper as an aggressive watchdog for the public interest.

Graham's own reporting:

• Exposed the sordid financial background of a man Memphis recruited to transform its riverfront into a tourist mecca
• Derailed a former county mayor's use of prison labor in his gubernatorial campaign
• Discovered wholesale errors on local tax rolls, leading to the collection of millions of dollars in extra tax revenues

From 2003 to 2011, Graham moved through the newsroom leadership ranks as metro editor and assistant managing editor. Continuing his focus on investigative and enterprise journalism, Graham has coordinated or edited nearly every major reporting effort at The Commercial Appeal in the last decade.

His work included an investigation that led to major national reforms at Habitat for Humanity. Also, in a landmark court battle with the FBI, he collaborated with colleagues to identify famed civil rights photographer Ernest Withers as an FBI informant spying on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Having this job is not something I envisioned when I started as our bureau reporter in Jackson, Tenn., right out of college. But it's something I take very seriously. I revere the institution and what it has meant to the region for 173 years. My goal is to contribute to its history in a meaningful way by keeping the journalism strong and relevant."

Graham is a 1981 graduate of Indiana University. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown children. When he's not working, he nurtures an obsession for Hoosiers basketball.

About Scripps
Scripps (www.scripps.com) is a leading media enterprise driven to develop and expand its digital strategies while embracing its rich history in delivering quality journalism through television stations, newspapers and the Scripps Howard News Service. Creative, talented and energetic employees are leading the way at 19 television stations and in 13 newspaper markets. The Scripps digital group is growing and gaining momentum with new product offerings, enhancements, and technology that gives customers more options than ever before to find the information and entertainment they crave. 

SOURCE Scripps