Together with colleagues such as Nima Elbagir and Zain Asher, among others, Phil Black has begun to make a name for himself in the world of news reporting in recent years, as he is considered one of the rising stars on CNN. The Australian international CNN correspondent received enthusiastic reviews and awards for his work in Ukraine and Russia. In the meantime, he has moved his base to London, where he hopes to continue to climb the career ladder.
Phil Black: Biography
Phil Black was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Apart 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 if he has siblings.
Just like his biodata, Black’s early educational data is not known. However, it is known that he attended Macleay College in Sydney and earned an Associate Diploma in Journalism before beginning his career. His first job was with Australia’s Channel Nine, where he worked as a researcher and logistical planner for the Getaway program, where he shot travel reports. He later rose through the ranks as a reporter and producer for the station, spending five years there before moving to Seven News as a correspondent.
As part of Australia’s highest-rated news program, Black covered important news such as the Asian tsunami from Sri Lanka. He spent seven years here before joining CNN.
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6 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Him
1. He Joined CNN as a Freelance Reporter
After quitting his job in Australia, Phil Black joined CNN as a freelance reporter in April 2007. In this capacity, he covered the shootings in Finnish classrooms, the Austrian incest case of Josef Fritzl, the attempted London terror attacks, the Princess Diana investigation, the McCartney-Mills divorce hearings, and the search for Madeleine McCann, among other things. His appearances were instrumental in securing him a permanent position with the network.
2. Black was previously based in Moscow as CNN International’s Russia Correspondent
Prior to moving to the UK to work as International Correspondent at CNN’s London office, 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 imprisonment of the Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot and the landslide re-election of President Vladimir Putin. He was also able to report on issues in other countries in the region, such as Ukraine, including the protests in Kyiv and the fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government troops in Donetsk.
3. He Won Two AIB Media Excellence Awards in 2014
For his reportage on the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine and its aftermath and the shooting down of an anti-government protestor in Independence Square, Phil Black was twice honored by the Association for International Broadcasting at the 2014 AIB Awards ceremony. He took home the awards in the categories of short reporting – TV and live journalism – TV. That same evening, Black’s colleague, Richard Quest, took home the award for Television Personality of the Year.
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5. Phil Black is Married to British Comedian, Ellie Taylor
On an undisclosed date in 2014, Phil Black exchanged vows with comedian, presenter and television personality Ellie Taylor. Today’s Mrs. Black is known for her performances and work on shows such as Live at the Apollo, BBC Two’s The Mash Report, QI, Would I Lie To You? and Mock the Week. She has also worked as an actress, appearing in television series such as Disney Chanel’s musical drama and crime series The Lodge as Christina, the Roman comedy series ITV2 Plebs as Gloria, and the HBO mockumentary series Family Tree. In 2019, Netflix released its half-hour stand-up special Cravings.
The University of York graduate is said to have married Phil Black in a very personal and intimate ceremony in London in front of close friends and family. Together the couple welcomed a child, a daughter named Valentina, in November 2018.
6. Salary
The salary of an international CNN correspondent is said to be between $100,790 and $109,724 per year. The average salary of reporters like Phil Black, who is in this position, is $105,371 per year.
