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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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Efforts to alleviate Maine's housing shortage by converting older or historic buildings into affordable housing (part of our "Cost of Living" series)
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Our panel of medical experts offer answers about public health concerns, from Covid on the rise to rabies and tick-borne diseases
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The dire backlog of people awaiting a public defender, and what's being done to fix indigent legal services in Maine
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How walking hepls physical and mental well being, and great places to go for a walk in Maine (rebroadcast)
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More eco-friendly materials and practices in the fashion industry include re-use of clothing and other trends
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What has caused such political and cultural divisions in our society—and how to get past the polarization
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The life and work of E. B. White — writer, journalist, poet, essayist from Maine
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Horticulture experts discuss summer gardening and answer your questions