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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The challenges people with disabilities face getting and keeping a good job, and what workplaces can do to be more inclusive -
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The role Maine played in the abolition movement, and the history of and attitudes toward slavery in New England -
The history of brainwashing, how it's been used, why it works—and how it's more common than we think -
LGBTQ+ history in Maine, including the places that have played a significant role in the community—plus what's happening for Pride Month -
Overdose deaths are down, but methamphetamine use is up. We discuss what to know about drug trends, prevention, treatment and recovery. -
Analysis of the latest development in the Maine legislature, the candidates who are entering state races, and the news out of Washington, D.C. -
"Mattering' describes an approach to help support young people grappling with depression or suicide. It centers on making them feel seen and heard. -
From potlucks to bean suppers, Maine has many traditions centered on communal meals that benefit people's well being -
