Melanie Faizer
Interim News DirectorMelanie is WUOT’s interim news director and is a distinguished lecturer in journalism at the University of Tennessee, where she has taught reporting, editing and media entrepreneurship since 2012. Before teaching, Melanie worked for Bloomberg News for 11 years in a variety of cities and roles, from managing the multimedia desk to producing television. In between her journalism jobs, Melanie worked as director of information services at Opera America, putting her M.A. in musicology, from Montreal’s McGill University, to good use.
In her spare moments, Melanie enjoys gardening, movies, novels, cooking, swimming, and of course hanging out with her husband, daughter and cat.
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Crypto mines have been drawn to states with low utility rates, but there's worry their high power demands could raise rates and weaken grids during heat waves or snowstorms.
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TVA doesn't track how many cryptocurrency mines are setting up in the region, but CEO Jeff Lyash confirmed he met with 300 crypto miners to discuss demand on the grid. Meanwhile, residential ratepayers might see more crypto mines entering communities, and higher electricity rates. Tennessee is trying to pass laws that would protect crypto miners from zoning restrictions. -
IRS data shows a jump of 37% in small non-profit formations between 2016 and 2022 in Tennessee. With very few filing or reporting requirements, spotting fraud is almost impossible. WUOT talked with some nonprofit experts about the legal origins of the problem, and how consumers can protect themselves from donating to the wrong charity.
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The EF2 tornado that hit Knoxville on Aug. 7, 2023, was accompanied by thunderstorms and straight-line winds that meteorologists warn can be just as dangerous as the tornado itself. Geographer Kelsey Ellis, local broadcast meteorologists and Logan Korn, a student who rode his motorbike through the storm, talk about that day's events, and the challenges of communicating tornado risk to the public. -
The University of Tennessee is hiring a consultant to look at best practices in campus parking. UTK also said applications are being driven by new admissions standards. -
As the city of Knoxville and the Planning Commission look for ways to rezone to allow for more multi-family housing, like duplexes, or so-called "missing middle" housing, some residents and realtors say the plan isn't thorough enough. -
Maha Ayesh, president of the Muslim Community of Knoxville, talks about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how the messages of media and political leadership affect Palestinians, and how the current conflict is affecting some residents of Knoxville's community.
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Experts say rejecting education funds would risk safeguards for Tennessee's most vulnerable studentsAs Tennessee prepares to debate whether to accept $1.8 billion in federal education funds, policy experts agree that low-income students and those with disabilities have the most to lose. -
As the candidates for municipal judge in Knoxville head toward a Nov. 7 runoff election, issues of politics in a nonpartisan election, and the operations of the court, are at stake. Incumbent Judge John R. Rosson was endorsed by the Knox County Republicans and says he's "working hard" for re-election. His opponent, Tyler Caviness, says the court needs some operational change. -
The University of Tennessee Athletics Department said payouts to past coaches contributed to the financial challenges in recent years.
