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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End-of-life doulas are changing the way we think about death — offering guidance, comfort and dignity when it matters most. -
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival brings Idaho's sheepherding history to life with parades, soulful stories, and a brand new podcast spotlight the voices of the range. -
Emmy winner and Grammy nominee Toni Childs reflects on her powerful career of music and joyful activism. -
Over the past five years, Idaho has lost thousands of farms, prompting urgent conversations about the preservation of agricultural communities and the future of farming in our state. -
When emergencies strike where roads don't reach, Idaho's pilots become lifelines - flying daring rescue missions that save lives in the states most remote areas. -
How nurses are trained today looks very different from decades ago, from small hospital-based programs to cutting-edge simulation labs. -
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. -
A new program is helping people to strengthen their bodies and peace of mind in just a few minutes a day. -
Idaho ranchers are embracing new technologies like drones and virtual fencing. -
For most of us, we only get a few minutes with our physician at the doctor’s office. With so many patients and so few doctors, there is very little face-to-face time with the medical professionals who can have a profound impact on our bodies and our minds.
