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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A Pocatello family is revisiting the moment an M-44 cyanide device changed their lives, as they push for legislation aimed at ending the use of the devices. -
For the last three months, the America 250: Short Histories of Boise project has explored stories behind familiar places across the city, uncovering why each space and landmark is so special. -
As forecasters warn of a dangerous wildfires season ahead, one expert reflects on the lessons of the historic 1988 Yellowstone fires and what they mean for this summer. -
Officials are thinking about cleanup, after the Claremont Fire burns large parts of the Boise Foothills. -
The Ada County Medical Society honored Dr. Patrice Burgess with a Lifetime Achievement Award. -
A new book takes a look at the natural history of one of Boise's favorite wildlife trails. -
As Idahoans endure weeks of wildfire smoke each summer, a neurologist is warning that what we breathe doesn't just irritate our lungs — it may be harming our brains as well. -
Boise State is officially a Pac-12 school. Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey explains what the change means for the Bronco's future. -
The Bryan Kohberger murder case has cost the state of Idaho more than $8 million so far, including $5.5 million spent on his legal defense. -
The 208 Night Market in Nampa brings together thousands of people each summer for food and community, offering a space for connection even amid concerns about immigration enforcement.
