KQED Radio Staff
Scott Shafer
Host and Reporter, The California Report
Scott Shafer did not travel a straight career line to KQED. He started his radio news career with KPFA in Berkeley, KFBK in Sacramento and KOIT in San Francisco.
He left radio for a few years (or rather, radio left him after format changes where he worked) and plunged into the world of politics, a.k.a. "the dark side." From 1988 to 1992, Scott served former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos as Press Secretary, and later worked for then-State Controller Gray Davis as Chief of Staff. After a stint as a political consultant, he returned to journalism at KQED 88.5FM in 1998.
As host and correspondent of the statewide California Report, Scott reports on a wide range of topics, from military and veterans issues to health care and gay marriage. He's won many awards for excellence, including ones from Public Radio News Directors (PRNDI), the Society for Professional Journalists and the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento. He also hosts the "Health Dialogues" series on important health issues facing our state.
When he's not at work Scott stays active swimming, playing water polo and biking. He also loves to travel. Of the many places he has visited his favorite destinations are Spain, Italy and Mexico.
Email Scott: sshafer@kqed.org
Call Scott: (415) 553-2255
Stories (260 archives)
Remembering Two Sides of a Family Crisis
Parents and their children often look at the same set of facts or circumstances, and remember things very differently. We talk with Justin Torres and his mom, Theresa, about a crisis that happened when Justin was a teenager. It led to Justin being admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Should We End the Death Penalty in California?
The last execution of a death row inmate in California took place six years ago next week. A moratorium on executions remains in place until the state answers legal questions regarding the methods used for lethal injections. Meanwhile, some are trying to end capital punishment altogether.
Coming Home From Iraq
The last American troops are home from Iraq, a war which left 471 Californians dead and thousands more with physical and psychological wounds. War changes those who fight, and also those who wait at home. For military families, 2012 will be a year of transition.
Deadline to Gauge State's Prison Progress
Today is the deadline federal courts have set for California to reduce its prison population to 167-percent of capacity, after a Supreme Court ruling that serious overcrowding in prisons amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. It's not clear whether the state will hit today's benchmark.
Seniors Share Hanukkah Memories
Whether it's making holiday lanterns, decorating the Christmas tree, or lighting the menorah, the winter holidays are mostly about kids. At a lunchtime celebration of Hanukkah at the Jewish Community Center this week, we asked Jewish seniors for their childhood memories of the holiday.
