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 new Kids Count report has found that Idaho children are falling behind in key measures of well-being, with lower reading and math proficiency rates as well. -
Rupert dentist, farmer and father of seven, Devin Harr, discusses his unlikely journey from caring for patients and livestock to competing in the regional finals of American Ninja Warrior. -
A new Smithsonian exhibition celebrating America's 250th anniversary is bringing together 600 rare specimens and artifacts from all 50 states to showcase the nation's heritage. -
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 the River Street Neighborhood! -
From patient care to public advocacy, one Idaho physician is making an impact far beyond the exam room. -
A new high-resolution MRI is offering a safer way to detect prostate cancer by helping doctors avoid risky biopsies that can lead to complications. -
After nearly two decades of advocating for Idaho's physicians through some of the states biggest health policy challenges, Idaho Medical Association CEO Susie Keller is being recognized for her leadership and impact on medicine. -
As cyber threats grow, a Boise State program is helping schools, company's and towns in rural Idaho improve their digital security. -
As Extremely American gears up for a new season, we're taking a look back at its reporting on extremist movements and what the podcast has planned for the future. -
Sent west to find the perfect ski mountain, an Austrian count helped shape Sun Valley's future and now one author is telling his story.
