In 2024, Nashville voters faced a major decision: Whether to increase the local sales tax they pay and dedicate a portion of those revenues to a $3.1 billion expansion of mass transit services, along with new sidewalk and traffic signal infrastructure. WPLN’s Metro Reporter Cynthia Abrams delivered dozens of explanatory stories over the course of […]
Murrow Awards 2023: Continuing Coverage

Six people were killed, including 3 children, when a former student opened fire inside the Covenant School in Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood on March 27, 2023. City police fatally shot the assailant. The deadly attack caused grief, spurred troubling questions, and set in motion many ripple effects — for schools, for policymakers, and for elected […]
Murrow Awards 2023: Breaking News

The forecast was not foreboding for Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. But by noon, our on-call weekend staffers were charging their equipment as the unseasonably warm weather grew more ominous. As night fell, seven tornadoes touched down across Middle Tennessee, killing seven people and injuring more than 80 others, as well as destroying 342 homes and […]
Murrow Awards 2023: Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Restricting transgender care and expressions of gender identity isn’t just a political issue. These proposals and laws have had a deep impact on people in Tennessee’s LGBTQ+ community. The sheer volume of legislation, legal challenges and superseding court rulings could make it difficult for anyone to keep up — but WPLN News closely covered the […]
PMJA Awards 2023: Newscast

The election of new Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell made the morning of Sept. 15, 2023, the dawning of a new era for Nashville. This morning newscast captures the culmination of months of coverage and a robust plan for Election Night that drew on the talents of about a dozen staffers. Nashville’s next mayor will be […]
Highlights: Khalil Ekulona 2022

This Is Nashville launched less than a year ago, but already Khalil Ekulona has established himself as a beloved voice in Middle Tennessee. Khalil is an engaging, empathetic and insightful interviewer, and a vibrant personality. In this reel, you’ll hear these highlights from his first 10 months as our host: A “shotgun” ride with an […]
Highlights: This Is Nashville 2022

This Is Nashville debuted on March 1, 2022, with the goal of being a different type of midday talk show — one that centers the voices and lived experiences of everyday Middle Tennesseans. In this reel, you’ll hear highlights from our first 10 months on the air, including: Our debut episode (March 1) The history […]
Continuing Coverage: Abortion In Depth
Sixty days after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Tennessee imposed the most draconian ban on abortion in the country. A total ban, with no clear exceptions — not even for rape, incest or to save the life of the patient.
Interview: Dr. Stephen Loyd on substance abuse, addiction and harm reduction

East Tennessee native Dr. Stephen Loyd once had a 100-pill-a-day addiction and even stole pain pills from his own patients. Years after he first sought help for his substance abuse disorder, Loyd in now the vice president of the state board medical examiners as well as the medical director of multiple service organizations. Loyd’s says he […]
Excerpt: Preserving Fort Negley’s past while planning for its future
In this excerpt, we learn the story of Fort Negley and Bass Street and hear from some in the community fighting to preserve its legacy