
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 are Maine restaurants faring, what challenges do they face? And how restaurants play a role in social connection
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Authors discuss the intersection of writing and climate change, and how small climate actions can make a difference
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A young authors and others from Maine's Ukrainian community describe their experiences, challenges and ties to Ukraine
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U.S. Rep. Golden joins us to discuss the latest national and global news, including in Washington, D.C., Ukraine and Gaza
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What it takes to make Maine's abundant outdoor recreation opportunities accessible to people of all abilities
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What to know about recent shark sighting off Maine's coast, and about the different species of sharks and what research and conservation is underway
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PBS NewsHour's Nick Schifrin discusses his career as a foreign correspondents and the role of empathy in his storytelling
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Community Land Trusts, or housing trusts, are working all over the state to create affordable housing. How do they work?
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We re-air our show about the rise in jellyfish sightings in Maine—and what to know about these fascinating creatures