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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What began as a New Year's Eve celebration ended in shattered glass and serious injuries — and now Boise Police say their investigation is complete. -
Facing one of the nations highest teen suicide rates, Idaho is testing a new school-based program designed to build resilience and save young lives. -
“We’re failing our kids.” That’s a quote from a Fruitland mom who says her daughter and other kids who need special education are falling through the cracks in Idaho. -
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. -
Awards season is in full swing — bringing a mix of top contenders, a fresh new comedy, a classic tv return and an under-the-radar gem perfect for your weekend watchlist. -
Idaho homeowners are seeing insurance premiums rise and policies canceled as fears of catastrophic urban wildfires grow, prompting bipartisan concern at the state capitol. -
As Idahoans endure weeks of wildfire smoke each summer, a neurologist is warning that what we breathe doesn't just irritate our lungs — it may be harming our brains as well. -
A new podcast is telling the story of a group of surfers who trained alongside firefighters and were put to the test when one of California's most destructive wildfires tore through Los Angeles County. -
In rural Fremont County, the Idaho Art Lab is inspiring creativity with hands-on classes, maker spaces and exhibits that showcase artists of all levels. -
You can get a grant to fund your own 250th anniversary project from the City of Boise.
