From Global to Local

Whether in an international newsroom, a refugee camp, or the Massachusetts State Courthouse, “I feel at home anywhere in the world,” says journalist, film producer, and editor Christopher Knapp. Throughout his life and career—and especially during his time at AUP—he developed the adaptability and curiosity to connect with people from any background. Now a producer at Hearst Television, he leverages these skills to lead teams in any scenario and tell stories that make an impact.

Knapp grew up in Los Angeles, immersed in the sights, sounds and storytelling possibilities of cinema. When it came time for college, he sought an unconventional path. Accepted to the University of Southern California with a conditional offer to spend his first year at AUP, he leaped at the opportunity—and knew immediately he was there to stay. Where better to broaden his horizons than Paris?

Thanks to AUP’s richly multicultural environment, Knapp honed the ability to find common ground with anyone, an invaluable skill for his future in journalism. Knapp studied philosophy and French and also had the opportunity to intern at the Cannes Film Festival; beyond the red carpet, he gained insight into the global film and television marketplace and French professional culture.

This foundation prepared him well for his first professional role as a journalist at Euronews in Lyon, a pan-European outlet where he booked guests and collaborated with teams from across the continent, as well as Russia, Turkey and Iran, to produce television stories in multiple languages and perspectives.

World events and a call to global citizenship pulled him into documentary film production. In February 2022, Knapp watched Russia launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, first with a sense of hopelessness, before he realized that there was an urgent story to be told. He flew to Poland, where millions of refugees were fleeing and ordinary citizens were stepping up to help. Leading an international team, he directed Last Train to Krakow, a Polish-language film that illuminated the stories of a priest, a hotel owner, a restaurateur, and even an anarchist choir, tracing acts of resilience in the face of war.

Knapp’s next documentary took him to India, and marked his first foray into investigative journalism. His team examined the impact of the massive Chandrapur Super Power Station, a coal-fired plant at the heart of the city that powers Maharashtra, one of India’s largest states, but at a steep environmental and human cost. As videographer and editor for the Hindi-language film Breaking the Toxic Air of Chandrapur, published by The Hindu, India’s second most circulated newspaper, Knapp interviewed farmers, doctors, and plant officials to capture the toll of pollution on public health and daily life, including respiratory illness and climate degradation. (By day, the team filmed; by night, from their base camp—coincidentally set in the middle of the world’s largest tiger reserve—they scouted Bengal tigers.)

Knapp brings all these experiences together in his current role as Senior Special Projects Producer for Hearst Television, where he spearheads true crime documentaries and investigative television specials for his home community of Manchester, New Hampshire. Knapp’s experience working in national and multinational news has led him to value the depth and influence of local reporting. “It’s enriching because you’re going so in-depth and get to know the community. You see the impact of your work.”

His recent projects have had real-world consequences. A newly released documentary investigating the unsolved murders of young women in the 1980s helped revive a case that had long gone cold—leading to the first new development in years when police served a warrant. Another production highlighted the story of Harmony Montgomery, a four-year-old girl murdered by her father, a felon, when the child welfare system awarded him full custody.

For Knapp, this work reinforces the power of journalism to drive change. “As a journalist, you’re a watchdog. We’re shining a light and bringing these cases to the forefront,” he says. “We try to illuminate and educate audiences as to why these things happen…and give answers to families.” To do this, you need adaptability but also something more: “You need to have that fire—the desire to recognize that something is wrong and do something about it.”