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.
-
West Valley needs to increase its rates for Caldwell just to pay the bills, after it says it has been undercharging for its services for years. -
West Valley Humane Society recently announced that it would be significantly raising its rates for Caldwell. However, Caldwell's mayor says that an increase like this could mean forgoing new first responders. -
We all know Idaho is growing, but how much has it grown and what is causing the population shift? -
The ACMS recognizes one member physician whose life is a standout example of professional medical ideals with the "Lifetime Achievement Award." -
U.S. cattle face threats from bird flu and a New World screwworm, prompting vaccines and a halt to livestock imports from Mexico. A possible herpes-Alzheimer's link joins headlines. -
A home insurance crisis faces Mountain West states as wildfires blaze the region. -
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. -
Explore the mysterious creatures that awaken in the dark with naturalist Charles Hood in his new book. -
One dedicated group is working to keep the history of military vehicles alive. -
You may have noticed that the price of vanilla has skyrocketed in the past 10 years, which has been a boon for vanilla farmers, but it's also created some problems.
