Paul Boger
I am a journalist with a decade’s experience covering politics, education and breaking news.
I'm currently a producer and reporter for Nevada Public Radio's hour-long daily news magazine State of Nevada, where I help lead the newsroom's political coverage. As the station's sole northern Nevada reporter/producer, I work with the editorial team and my colleagues to expand Nevada's Public Radio's coverage of northern and rural parts of our state. It's an opportunity that's also allowed me to explore a career-long goal of learning to produce a daily news magazine.
Before that, I served as a senior reporter and editor at KUNR Public Radio in Reno, Nev., where I helped lead the news team in producing daily news and long-form content for listeners across northern Nevada and eastern California. I was instrumental in expanding the station's news offerings, including hundreds of features, interviews, reporter debriefs and a podcast. In particular, I led KUNR's political coverage by outlining a newsroom strategy and assigning stories to reporters based on their interests and strengths. That work provided KUNR listeners with daily updates from the legislature and regular deep dives into local, state and regional politics. In addition to juggling reporting projects, I provided mentorship and training to KUNR's developing journalists and occasionally served as the managing editor in the absence of the news director. In addition to news responsibilities, I served as a fill-in host for Morning Edition or All Things Considered as needed.
I strongly believe in the power and value of teamwork. Life in a newsroom is messy and more than a bit chaotic, and one person cannot hope to do it all by themselves sustainably. In my experience, newsrooms work best when there is clear communication and open, honest dialogue. I believe that every story turns out better when there is positive collaboration. That's why I worked tirelessly to promote the power of partnerships both locally and regionally. As the KUNR newsroom grew, I took on increased editorial responsibilities by helping full-time and part-time staff through the reporting process from conception to air. I'm proud to have helped KUNR develop flourishing partnerships with the Mountain West News Bureau and The Nevada Independent.
It should come as no surprise, at this point, that newsrooms will only survive if they can tell stories important to their audience and reflect the communities they serve. That's especially true when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. It's a fact that increased diversity leads to more innovation and greater audience engagement. I've made it a personal goal to find new ways to diversify my reporting, such as tracking my sourcing and working with bilingual reporters to translate stories into Spanish. I also frequently worked one-on-one with a diverse group of developing journalists enrolled in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. It remains a highlight of my career because it continually challenged my understanding of how and why we practice journalism. I hope I can continue preparing the next generation of reporters.
During my time in public radio, my work has aired on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, several national newscasts, PBS Newshour, and the BBC. I’ve also worked with several stations, news organizations and regional journalism collaboratives. They include KQED's California Report, The Nevada Independent, the Mountain West News Bureau, NPR Ed and the Southern Education Desk. Much of that work has earned recognition, including several Associated Press awards and a regional Edward R. Murrow. In addition to my accolades, I was part of the KUNR team, which earned several station awards for collaborative projects in which my work was either featured, or I served as the lead reporter.
Before moving to Reno, I cut my teeth working as a politics and education reporter at Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson. I spent more than three years in the Magnolia State reporting on the diverse, complex issues facing one of the country’s most fascinating places. Diving deep to tackle issues like race, poverty and educational divides, I learned the importance of reaching out to underserved and underreported communities to tell stories important to all.
I earned my B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Troy University in Alabama. That's where I discovered my passion for public radio, working as a producer, editor and local host for Troy University Public Radio. I also worked as an afternoon D.J. at WTBF FM in Troy. While there, l learned about the power of community radio and its ability to connect people with the place they live.
Growing up, my dad was in the military, so I lived all over the country, getting to experience the vast differences and complex diversity between the different states and regions of our country. That being said, I spent my formative years in Phoenix, Arizona, home. When I’m not working, you can find me hanging out with my partner, Lynsey, and my dog, Hank. I enjoy watching the Diamondbacks, reading, hiking, camping, playing board games, collecting postcards, road-tripping and, of course, listening to public radio and podcasts.