Jennifer Rooks
Host and Executive Producer, Maine CallingJennifer walked into her college radio station as a 17-year-old freshman and never looked back. Even though she was terrified of the microphone back then — and spoke into it as little as possible — she loved the studio, the atmosphere and, most of all, the people who work in broadcasting. She was hooked. Decades later, she’s back behind the radio microphone hosting Maine Public Radio’s flagship talk program, Maine Calling. She’s not afraid of the mic anymore, but still loves the bright, eclectic people she gets to work with every day.
Jennifer joined MPBN in June 2007 after spending more than 13 years at WCSH-TV in Portland as a general assignment reporter and weekend news anchor. She has twice won a regional Edward R. Murrow award: in 1998, for coverage of Maine National Guard and Reserve soldiers deployed in Bosnia and Hungary, and in 2003, for the documentary Citizen King, about then-governor and former Maine Watch host Angus King.
For six years, Jennifer served as host, reporter and executive producer of Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks. She has moderated more than 20 broadcast debates for Maine Public Television and has produced three television documentaries: Broken Trust: Elder Abuse in Maine and Winds of Change, both Maine Watch Special Reports, and A Matter of Duty: The Continuing War Against PTSD. Co-produced with Charlie Stuart, A Matter of Duty has been shown on PBS television stations throughout the U.S. and in multiple screenings, including at the National Sheriff’s Association national conference.
Jennifer grew up outside Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her BA from the University of Virginia and her master’s in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She worked at television stations in San Francisco and Monterey, California, before coming to Maine. She and her husband Mike have two teenagers.
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How and why people accept disparities in income and wealth in our society -
Renowned polar explorer and climate scientist Paul Mayewski joins us to discuss his career, his research and the future of the planet -
How Indigenous cultural items and artifacts were stolen, and what's being done to return them -
Organic farming pioneer Eliot Coleman discusses his new book and how soil health is at the center of the original organic method -
Fact and misconceptions about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity—plus tips on gluten-free living and Thanksgiving recipes -
How the age of politicians and candidates has become and issue, and how generational divides intersect with political issues -
Listen back to our earlier show about why so many people have moved to Maine in recent years from other states, and what they think of their new home state -
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What baby names are popular in Maine and what goes into picking a name? We learn about naming trends and how Maine names differ. -
Author Simon Winchester discusses his new book about the far-reaching impacts that wind has in our lives
