Samantha Wright
Idaho Matters Senior ProducerExpertise: Reporting, producing, writing, editing, hosting, interviewing, board operating
Education: Boise State University + interviewing every expert and reading every book I can find to constantly keep learning
Highlights
- I got to chase Martian Dust Devils in the Oregon desert
- I wisely skipped breakfast the day I flew in a Red Baron Squadron Stearman stunt biplane
- My tombstone will probably read “Brought the Parachuting Beavers story to Idaho”
- I rode in the belly of an M1 Abrams Tank across the Idaho desert
Experience
As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio. I am so grateful to have been honored by my peers with Edward R. Murrow Awards for my stories including wheelchair rugby, blind bird watching, making pies for Lent, learning to can food during a recession, and walking through a living nativity.
I love playing with audio and had great fun putting together my Canning Makes a Comeback story which won Best Use of Sound from the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA). I love interviewing fascinating people from Idaho musician Rosalie Sorrels to best-selling author Sharon Kay Penman. I also sat down with three of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders and several of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen. I hosted “Folk Trails” on KBSU for several years and got paid to play celtic, bluegrass and folk music while chatting with everyone from “Artis the Spoonman” to singer Christine Lavin.
I’ve followed guide dog trainers for Voice of America, reported on how road noise affects Boise’s Foothills for New Yorker Magazine, gathered sound for This American Life, trekked to Stanley, Idaho for NPR for the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and reported for the New York Times and National Native News. I loved producing stories for the Idaho Storycorps Project each time it came to Boise and had great fun hosting the Legislative Breakdown podcast for several sessions of the Idaho Legislature.
My goal is to find out what’s on the mind of our listeners and to Never Be Boring!
Email: If you have a suggestion for an Idaho Matters segment, please email idahomatters@boisestate.edu.
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From Ebola's global reach to a promising pancreatic cancer pill and the healing power of yoga and prayer, Idaho Matters takes a look some of today's biggest health questions. -
Scientists have discovered two new rings around Uranus, including one composed of water ice, adding to our understanding of the planets unusual structure. -
What was it like growing up with Batman as your dad? Adam West's daughter shares personal stories and previews a new exhibit honoring the actors remarkable life. -
A new partnership in Canyon County is equipping EMS crews with blood in ambulances so they can start life-saving transfusions before patients reach the hospital. -
Idaho Public Television is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Teton Dam failure with a new program that takes a look at the disaster through personal accounts and discussion of its long-term impacts. -
Idaho Matters was recently honored by the Idaho Press Club with five awards, including Best News Talk Show in Idaho, which is why we're taking a look back at one of our award-winning interviews. -
Each Monday on Idaho Matters, we’ll bring you a snapshot of a small corner of our Capital City and its unique past and today we head to Ustick Road! -
It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines this past week. -
Nox the baby owl is helping shed light on the raptor conservation work the Peregrine Fund does in Africa. -
New geological maps in east-central Idaho are revealing hidden deposits of minerals, which are helping scientists better understand things like earthquake faults and groundwater systems.
