
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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Each year kids face increasing risks of climate change. However, here in Idaho, a youth-led council is taking action to help change that.
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Becoming a parent for the first time can be intimidating, which is why a free program is offering support to moms who need it.
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While serving a 15-year prison sentence, an Idaho man took up crocheting to try and reconnect with his daughter, which would later change his life.
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On Valentine’s Day a case will go back to the Idaho Supreme Court, and the outcome could have major implications for the state’s 19 ski resorts.
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Not that long ago, monarch butterflies would migrate in droves. However, over the last few decades, the number of these iconic creatures has dropped drastically.
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Space is a growing industry. Some estimates say there are 12,000 companies involved in the space-tech industry, and those companies will need workers.
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Last week, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer honor cultural awareness months, including Black History Month, but a coalition is going forward with events to honor the contributions of Black Idahoans.
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Next week blues artist Coco Montoya will be visiting Idaho for a very special celebration. But before his trip Idaho Matters wanted to find out more about his music and what inspires him.
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Subscriptions are fun, but there can be a darker side of these kinds of businesses, and we're not just talking about the financial cost.
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Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and the musicians at the Boise Baroque Orchestra are planning an evening of romance for friends and lovers.