Samuel King Joins New York Public Media’s Capitol News Bureau

An experienced broadcaster and Queens native is joining the Capitol Bureau of the New York Public News Network.

Samuel King will be based in Albany, and bring a focus on upstate issues. He is a native of the Empire State, a graduate of Northwestern, and most recently worked at WSLS10 in Roanoke, Virginia.

“I’ve lived over a lot of the eastern two-thirds of the country, but the Northeast has always felt like home,” King said. “At the same time, I’ve always had an interest in statehouse reporting … and I felt it would be good to take the experience I’ve learned elsewhere, and bring it to the state where I was born and grew up.”

King has logged more than 20 years as a working journalist, including stints at NY1, KCUR in Kansas City, KUT in Austin and with MPR News in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“So I’ve worked in both local television, mostly commercial television, and also in public media over the past few years,” he said.

King was hired after a national search and an interview process that included a panel of public news leaders from across the state. While an employee of WXXI in Rochester, his position is funded in part by other public media stations that make up the New York Public News Network. King succeeds reporter Jeongyoon Han in the role, and joins WNYC reporters Jon Campbell and Jimmy Vielkind.

“Samuel is eager to report on the issues that matter to everyday New Yorkers,” said Denise Young, executive editor of WXXI News. “He also has a goal of informing our audiences across the state about things they may not have heard of before — and do so in a way that will show them why it should matter to them.”

King starts at the beginning of a new legislative session, with the state facing significant financial and other challenges, and Gov. Kathy Hochul heading into the thick of a gubernatorial election campaign.

“It’s going to be unique coming to Albany at a time where there is so much going on,” King said, adding: “It’ll be an interesting journey … just trying to make sure that we’re bringing news that’s not just important in Albany, but what’s important to the people across the state of New York.”

Story by Brian Sharp/WXXI/New York Public News Network

Image: Samuel King (Credit: Brian Sharp/WXXI News)