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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What makes the centuries-old game of chess so appealing, where can you play and compete in Maine, and how is technology changing this game of strategy? -
Why oral histories are important records of significant events—like 9/11—and what oral history projects in Maine capture people's stories -
How emergency management works at the local and state levels, and what individuals and communities can do to prepare for a range of disasters and emergencies -
What to know about the severe drought that is affecting most of Maine—what are the impacts on residents and the environment? -
The latest political news affecting Mainers, from candidates entering races to federal actions to referendum questions -
How recent federal changes impact solar power costs for Maine homeowners, and what they mean for community solar -
Rabies, Lyme and West Nile are some of the infectious diseases transmitted by wildlife. We learn how prevalent they are, and how to prevent and treat them. -
We highlight some of the dedicated and creative teachers who connect with students in out-of-the-ordinary ways -
We re-air our earlier show about why first jobs are important, and what some well-known Mainers did for their first jobs -
How streets in Maine are named—and some of the common, uncommon, quirky and odd street names in Maine
