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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Des Moines Performing Arts CEO Monica Holt spent nearly two decades at The John F. Kennedy Center, which she left shortly after President Donald Trump removed and replaced a majority of the center's longtime board leadership. -
Internationally renowned Danish artist Thomas Dambo is known for creating towering, whimsical trolls that can be found all around the world. Built from reclaimed materials, they've popped up in hidden, natural locations all across the globe. Now, there are four to find in Iowa. -
Plenty of kids dream of being an astronaut and exploring space. These Iowans landed their far-out jobs working with NASA and being involved with the Orion Artemis II mission.
My Latest Podcasts
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After two centuries of expanding democracy, why has America become more unequal — not less? On this episode we listen to highlights from a recent conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His new book, The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy, examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality and why this issue is by design. This conversation was recorded on May 7 at the Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. -
For her entire adulthood, Melissa Febos went from one relationship to another, shaping her life around each new partner’s needs and desires. At the age of 35, she decided she needed a break. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Febos about her book, 'The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year without Sex.' Her book examines the solitude, freedoms and feminist heroes she discovered during a year of celibacy and a new understanding of relationships and self-knowledge. Then, a conversation about Iowa's native Muppet, Miss Piggy, as part of our 'Iowa Famous' series. (This episode was originally produced July 1, 2025.)
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The U.S. Supreme Court has filed to preserve telehealth access to the abortion pill mifepristone as new Iowa restrictions await Gov. Kim Reynolds' signature. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, we break down what this SCOTUS action means with law professor Jill Wieber Lens and what may come next for abortion pill access. Plus, we kick off our 2026 primary election preview series, get a spring crop update with Mark Licht, say farewell to IPR's Josie Fischels and groove into the weekend with Studio One host Cece Mitchell.
