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 to navigate health insurance options in the face of changes and higher premiums—and what to know about open enrollment -
What to know about Maine's deer population, management, hunting regulations, and where to hunt in Maine -
What kinds of equipment and tools help people with disabilities go about their daily lives more independently—and how to access them in Maine -
Who are among the growing numbers from out of state moving to Maine—and why do they choose to move here? -
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How Indigenous cultural items and remains have been stolen over the decades, and what's happening to return them to Wabanaki tribes -
As Maine Tech Week kicks off, we learn how the state's tech community is gearing up for growth -
Analysis of the candidates and campaigns for Maine governor and U.S. House & Senate, and top issues leading into the 2026 election -
Today's pharmacists have a greater role in patient care and work in a wide range of settings to fill in for gaps in the health care system -
The history of how Portland was burned down by the British in 1775, and what events are happening to mark 250 years since that time.
