Chris Kromm

Alum 2001

Chris Kromm is the executive director for the Institute for Southern Studies. From 1997 to 2000, he was the editor of Southern Exposure magazine, the Institute’s award-winning journal of politics and culture. He was appointed executive director in 2000. He is also publisher of Facing South, the Institute’s online magazine.

A frequently-sought commentator on Southern politics and current issues, Chris has appeared on over 300 TV and radio broadcasts including American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” CNN “Live,” C-SPAN, Democracy Now, KCRW California’s “To the Point,” Mississippi Public Radio, MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Pacifica Radio, WUNC North Carolina’s “The State of Things,” and XM Satellite Radio.

Chris’ writing has appeared in The Herald-Sun, The Hill, Huffington Post, The Independent Weekly, The Nation, The News & Observer, Salon, and other publications.

Chris is the author or co-author of more than 60 Institute reports on topics ranging from the changing demographic and political landscape in the South to money in politics, labor, voting rights, and disaster recovery in the Gulf Coast. His reports have been covered in more than 350 media outlets, including ABC News, Associated Press, BBC World, Bloomberg News, CNN News, NPR, The New Yorker, New York Times, Reuters, Washington Post, and USA Today.

Under Chris’ leadership, the Institute for Southern Studies and its media programs have been recognized with several prestigious honors and awards, including the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting, a North Carolina Justice Center Defenders of Justice Award for Policy Research and Advocacy, a Harry Chapin Media Award for coverage of poverty issues, an Investigative Reporting award from the North Carolina Press Association and honors from the National Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and the White House Correspondents’ Association.