Erin O'Toole
Host & Senior Producer, Colorado EditionEmail: erin.otoole@kunc.org
As host of KUNC's Colorado Edition, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. And because life is best when it's a balance of work and play, I love finding stories that highlight culture, music, the outdoors, and anything that makes Colorado such a great place to live.
One of the things I love most about being in public radio is that it embodies and encourages many of the values I hold dear: integrity, creativity, civility and curiosity. At KUNC, I've been so fortunate to work with, and learn from, a growing newsroom that's filled with talented, passionate journalists.
I spent nearly nine years in commercial radio in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to San Bernardino, California to serve as Morning Edition host and reporter for KVCR. I was selected as a USC/Annenberg Health Journalism fellow in 2008, reporting primarily on the healthcare overhaul, domestic violence and health awareness media campaigns. I joined KUNC as Morning Edition host in 2009, and served as Assistant News Director from 2017 to 2019.
When I'm not at work, you can usually find me hiking with my two dogs, listening to and creating music, and reading (my bookshelves are overflowing with scifi, politics, cookbooks and Nancy Drew mysteries).
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In today’s episode we listen back to some of our favorite segments - including conversations with a Fort Collins veterinarian who traveled to the Ukrainian border to help refugees fleeing with their pets, and with two Colorado women who created an online, modern-day version of the Green Book to help people find businesses that are inclusive and welcoming for members of marginalized communities. -
Despite the financial constraints from the pandemic, some new businesses are flourishing in Yuma County. And, we talk with AARP Colorado’s state director about how to cast a ballot in the June 28 primaries.
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The historic Rialto Theater in downtown Loveland is marking its centennial with a week of tours, silent film screenings and live music. Colorado Edition went behind the scenes to learn why this theater is such a landmark of the Northern Colorado arts scene.
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Among many things the COVID-19 pandemic revealed was just how undervalued many essential workers are. In today’s Colorado Edition, we talk with Denver-based author and blogger Adam Kaat who chronicled his experience as a grocery store cashier in his novel Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic. And we hear what climate experts are saying about how much water will be available this summer in the Colorado River.
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If you ask people what the biggest concern facing democracy is today, many would answer a rise in misinformation. Social media has even been referred to as a "dumpster fire" of venom, misinformation, and conspiracy theories – about the 2020 election, COVID-19 vaccines, and other hot-button topics. In this episode of Colorado Edition, a talk with a professor who studies the intersection of politics and media to learn more about what misinformation is and what we can do to combat it.
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In this Colorado Edition interview, reporter Nick Bowlin discusses his reporting on a Denver Starbucks attempting to unionize. Employees learn if their vote was successful on Tuesday. But the employees also say their efforts have resulted in backlash from the company.
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On today’s Colorado Edition, we talk with education advocate Pius Kamau about how colleges and universities can and should do more to increase access to higher education for low-income students and students of color. And we explore new legislation that aims to help more Coloradans get the behavioral healthcare they need.
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Hundreds of alpacas and alpaca enthusiasts are expected to turn out for the Great Western Alpaca show in Denver this weekend. Fans can watch halter and performance competitions, costume contests, and hop into the alpaca selfie booth.
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We talk with Fort Collins-based veterinarian Dr. Jon Geller, who recently traveled to the Ukrainian border to help refugees fleeing with their pets.
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Today on Colorado Edition: We revisit a conversation with the co-founders of Text Me When You’re Home, a collective aimed at making Northern Colorado’s arts and music scene safer and more uplifting. And we listen back to the voices of people who recently gathered at Denver’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, who shared concerns over the future of their country and loved ones back home.
