Ryan Denham
Content DirectorRyan is an award-winning journalist and digital strategist. He joined WGLT full-time in 2017 as Digital Content Director and became interim Content Director in 2025.
Under Ryan's leadership, WGLT.org has become the go-to destination for local news in Bloomington-Normal. WGLT has expanded its digital offerings to include multiple daily podcasts, short-form video storytelling, and award-winning photography.
Ryan has earned a National Murrow Award, a national Public Media Journalists Association award, several Regional Murrow Awards, and multiple Crystal Mic Awards from the Illinois News Broadcasters Association, among other station and team-based honors.
Ryan also serves as WGLT's internship coordinator, working closely with Illinois State University students.
Ryan started his career as a copy editor and later business and city government reporter at The Pantagraph in 2006. He later worked for WJBC radio in Bloomington and for Illinois State's University Marketing and Communications [UMC] and Web and Interactive Communications [WEB] offices.
He lives in Normal with his wife, Therese, and two children. You can contact Ryan at rmdenha@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-5426.
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Charlie Schlenker's thorough interviewing style, made-for-radio voice and vocabulary are the stuff of legend, as is the kindness he showed colleagues (including student interns) who wanted to learn from him. WGLT asked community leaders reflect on what made Charlie's work special. -
A data center cooling failure has disrupted online and mobile banking for customers at several Central Illinois credit unions for the past three days, part of a nationwide problem. -
Documents obtained by WGLT show Rivian trying to make its case for why its Normal properties are significantly overvalued and overtaxed. Millions of tax dollars are at risk for Unit 5 schools and other local taxing bodies. -
The top editor of Bloomington's Pantagraph newspaper was let go in an apparent cost-cutting move. Cumulus Media in Bloomington also recently gutted its news department. -
With a natural gas leak from Nicor ruled out, officials said Thursday they're still looking for the cause of a house explosion and fire in rural Bloomington that's left three people critically injured. A GoFundMe has been set up for the Hoefer family. -
Eight people were taken to the hospital early Wednesday after an apparent house explosion on Bloomington’s far western edge. It happened just before midnight at a home along Old Peoria Court. -
Unit 5 leaders say Rivian’s fight to lower its property tax bill could cost the school district as much as $6.8 million in lost revenue — uncertainty that looms over Unit 5’s budget planning. -
The Meet the Newsroom series pulls back the curtain to introduce you to the team that makes WGLT possible. The series continues with WGLT reporter and video producer Lizzie Seils. -
Three-term Normal Town Council member Kathleen Lorenz won’t seek re-election. That creates a second open seat heading into the April 6 election. -
The five people injured when a pickup truck veered onto the sidewalk in Uptown Normal and struck a building remained hospitalized Saturday, including one in critical condition.
