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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Meet the next generation of Idaho farmers - young growers tackling rising costs and development pressures while finding innovative ways to keep the state's agricultural legacy alive. -
A new farm incubator in the Treasure Valley is helping Idaho's next generation of farmers overcome land access challenges and build a more sustainable future for local agriculture. -
The Idaho Film Society is taking is hitting the road, bringing short films to six cities and spotlighting the next wave of Idaho storytellers. -
A new documentary is highlighting the work of female scientists fighting to save North America's bats from the devastating white-nose syndrome. -
Off Center Dance is bringing a high-energy performance to Boise this November featuring 22 artists, aerial acrobatics and plenty of visual flair. -
From missing governors to pizza scandals, "Scandalized" is back with bizarre, hilarious and revealing takes on the wildest moments in American politics. -
Boise is awarding $120,000 in 44 creative projects that highlight the city's unique history and cultural diversity. -
FBI agents raided a horse racing facility in Wilder, Idaho on Sunday afternoon in connection with an alleged gambling operation. -
Meet the urban farmers in the heart of Idaho's cities that are turning small plots into hubs for food and community. -
Idaho Matters takes a deep dive into the hidden world of frogs and what their sounds reveal about the species.
