Samantha McIntosh
Talk Show ProducerExpertise: Finding, booking, preparing and connecting guests with listeners on IPR's two talk shows: <i>Talk of Iowa</i> and <i>River to River</i>
Education: Bachelors degree from St. Cloud State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Iowa's bike trails!
Experience:
- Audio, talk show production and writing across various topic areas for IPR as a talk show producer
- Sub-hosts for Morning Edition and All Things Considered for IPR
- Has reported and written features on topics including local government, public safety, K-12 education, and arts and culture for M&H Broadcasting in southeast and west-central Iowa
- Is an award-winning producer and reporter, including Iowa Broadcast News Association awards across multiple years
- A weekend host at KQGO 96.3 in Minneapolis, MN
My Favorite Stories
-
Actor Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele have been collaborators and friends for 30 years. -
From Muddy Waters to The Lumineers, a venue located in the basement of Iowa State University's Memorial Union has seen 50 years of music, theatre, comedy and more.
-
A recent poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 62% of adults say democracy in the U.S. could be at risk in the 2024 presidential election.
-
Every spring, nearly a million sandhill cranes pass through an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska on their northward migration.
My Latest Stories
-
What began as a way to bring the community together during COVID has become a tradition six years strong. Two sisters have organized volunteer bakers and delivery drivers to make sure everyone can eat a homemade pie on Thanksgiving. -
This native Iowan is often referred to as the king of late night television. -
This Iowan is a television actor known for his roles in The Bear and Platonic. He plans to produce a show about growing up in small-town Iowa as a Filipino kid.
My Latest Podcasts
-
For years the Iowa State Patrol has set a goal of keeping traffic deaths below 300. In 2025, they not only met that goal, but had the smallest number since 1925 with 259 deaths. On this episode we discuss some of the factors that have led to this decrease, including the hands-free driving law that took effect in July with full enforcement beginning this January. We also learn about Alive at 25, a safety initiative aimed at improving driver behavior among the state's youngest drivers. Lastly, an update on the Iowa Bicycle Coalition's safety objectives for the next legislative session. -
Maintaining mobility as we age is critical when it comes to independence and quality of life. Kinesiologist Gregory Welk and research scientist Abbie Coniglio of ISU join the program to talk about what adults of any age can do to maintain or increase mobility as they age. Later in the episode, author and master of flash fiction Grant Faulkner returns to talk about his newest book, 'Something Out There in the Distance.' Faulkner also shares about his newest writing community, Memoir Nation, and a reality show he's executive producing. He will be reading at Beaverdale Books on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
-
The Iowa Legislature gavels in for the 2026 session next week. On today's episode we take a closer look at the processes and people at the statehouse, starting with IPR reporters Katarina Sostaric and Isabella Luu to share their insights on reporting from the capitol. Then we talk about what's changed about the legislature over the decades with former state lawmaker Andy McKean and how Iowans can effectively get involved during the session with lobbyist Dustin Miller. Also, we talk with journalist and host of 'Iowa Press' on Iowa PBS O. Kay Henderson about Gov. Kim Reynolds' tenure and what's to come for her final year in office.
