Phil Black – Biography And Interesting Facts You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Along with colleagues like Nima Elbagir and among others, Phil Black has in recent years begun to make a name for himself in the news reporting world, as he is regarded as one of the rising stars on CNN. The Australian CNN International Correspondent received rave reviews and awards for his work in Ukraine and Russia. He has since moved base to London where he hopes to carry on climbing the corporate ladder.

Phil Black: Biography

Phil Black was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Aside from the obvious fact that he is Australian by nationality, nothing else is known about him, including his date of birth and the identity of his parents. It is also not clear if he is the only child or whether he has any siblings.

Just like his bio-data, Black’s early educational records are not known. It is, however, known that he attended Macleay College in Sydney, earning an associate diploma in Journalism before beginning his career. His first job was with Australia’s Channel Nine, where he joined the programme Getaway as a researcher and logistical planner for shooting travel stories. He later rose to become a reporter and producer for the channel, spending five years there before moving to Seven News as a correspondent.

As a part of Australia’s highest rating news program, Black covered major news stories such as the Asian Tsunami from Sri Lanka. He spent seven years here before joining CNN.

6 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Him

1. He Joined CNN as a Freelance Reporter

Having left his job in Australia, Phil Black joined CNN in April of 2007 as a freelance reporter. In this role, he reported on stories such as the Finnish classroom shootings, the Austrian incest case of Josef Fritzl, the attempted London terror attacks, the Princess Diana inquest, the McCartney-Mills divorce hearings, and the search for Madeleine McCann among many others. His performances went a long way in helping him secure a permanent job with the network.

2. Black was previously based in Moscow as CNN International’s Russia Correspondent

Before moving to the UK to serve as CNN’s London bureau International Correspondent, Phil Black was based in Moscow, Russia. Here, he was able to report on a number of high profile stories such as the controversial arrest and subsequent detainment of Russian feminist protest punk rock group – Pussy Riot, and the landslide re-election of President . Furthermore, he was also able to report on issues in other countries in the region like Ukraine, such as the protests in Kiev and the fighting between the pro-Russian rebels and government forces in Donetsk.

3. He Won Two AIB Media Excellence Awards in 2014

For his reporting on the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine and its aftermath, and the shooting of an anti-government protester in Independence Square, Phil Black was twice recognized by the Association for International Broadcasting at the 2014 AIB awards. He took home the prizes in the categories of Short News Report – TV, and Live Journalism – TV. That same night, Black’s colleague, Richard Quest, took home the award for Television Personality of the Year.

4. He is an Emmy Award Nominee

In 2015, Phil Black was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story – Long Form. His reporting of the shooting in Independence Square Ukraine earned him the nomination. Other nominees included Anderson Cooper 360°, ABC News Special Events, and winner of the award, NBC News Special.

5. Phil Black is Married to British Comedian, Ellie Taylor

On an undisclosed date in 2014, Phil Black exchanged marital vows with comedian, presenter and television personality, . The now Mrs. Black is well known for her appearances and work on shows like Live at the Apollo, BBC Two’s The Mash Report, QI, Would I Lie To You?, and Mock the Week. In addition, she has also done some work as an actor, appearing in television series like Disney Chanel’s musical drama and mystery series The Lodge as Christina, ITV2 Roman comedy series Plebs as Gloria, and the HBO mockumentary series Family Tree. In 2019, Netflix put out her half-hour stand-up special Cravings.

The University of York graduate is said to have wedded Phil Black at a very personal and intimate ceremony in London in front of close friends and family. Together, the couple has welcomed a child, a daughter named Valentina, in November 2018.

6. Salary

The salary of a CNN International Correspondent is said to range from $100,790 to $109,724 per year. This puts the average salary of reporters, like Phil Black, who are in that position at $105,371 per year.

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