Jeneane Beck

Jeneane is KUNI's Des Moines Bureau Chief. She files daily reports on state government and politics, and assists with our call-in programs.

Email: Jeneane Beck.

Phone/Fax: 515-246-0491

Listen to a WAV file
 

Take 5 Profile with Jeneane Beck:

A little about Jeneane:
I grew up in Ames and graduated with a Journalism degree from Iowa State, although I hate to admit that in Panther Country. My first full time job out of college was as News Director at KCOB in Newton.  It was a wonderful learning experience and a nice town to live in. But in 1996 I left to join the news staff at WHO radio in Des Moines. I enjoyed covering the Statehouse but began to tire of the headline news format and longed to do stories of more substance. So I jumped at the opportunity to work for KUNI in 1999. I now live in Ankeny with my husband Matt and can’t believe I’ve been covering the Iowa Legislature for ten years.

What is your favorite NPR/PRI program?
It’s almost impossible to choose. I couldn’t live without Morning Edition and All Things Considered but I also love This American Life, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, and Car Talk. And I was thrilled when we added Fresh Air. I think Terry Gross is great. In fact I must say, while I love my job at KUNI, I would be more than willing to take over Fresh Air if Terry ever retires.

But I won’t hold my breath.

Why/how did you get into radio?
I actually intended write for a newspaper or magazine. I wrote for my high school newspaper and really enjoyed it. Then at Iowa State I met some of the staff from a local radio station and they encouraged me to apply. So I cut my teeth as a D.J. playing Top 40 music. After that I just stuck with radio and moved into News once I received my degree. Now I love the intimacy of radio. Hearing someone’s voice without seeing them is often a less distracting way to get the story.

What is your most memorable moment with KUNI/KHKE?
Probably covering the Republican Straw Poll in Ames in 2000. The event was held on a Saturday and we wanted a feature story we could run Monday morning. So I spent the entire day with one undecided voter as she went from tent to tent listening to each Candidate or their staff. Afterwards she would give me a very frank opinion of each one. It was great fun and turned out to be a nice piece that would have never been played on commercial radio.

What do you do for fun?
We’ll I’ve been taking Taekwondo since 1992 and it continues to occupy a lot of my time. My husband and I are also on a co-rec volleyball team in the fall and spring. While we love playing, it’s also a great excuse to go out to dinner with our teammates every Sunday evening. My family is very close so we also spend a lot of time in Cedar Rapids visiting my parents and younger brother who is an elementary school teacher. Finally, I’ve been bitten by the scrapbooking bug, but don’t have much time to work on new pages.

What, in your opinion, is the best aspect of KUNI/KHKE?
The variety. Where else can you get in-depth news, rocking music, and laugh out loud shows like Car Talk on all one station? Plus as a news junkie, I appreciate the longer stories that give me a better picture of what is really happening.