Lori Townsend
Chief Editor & Senior Vice President of JournalismLori is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. She has worked in print and broadcast journalism for nearly 30 years.
Lori got her start in broadcasting at the age of 12 as the park announcer for softball games in her hometown of Deer Park, Wisconsin.
Radio brought her to Alaska in 1999 when she was hired as a broadcast trainer for Native fellowship students at Koahnic Broadcasting. She was hired by APRN as host of Alaska News Nightly and general assignment reporter in 2003. She became news director after the APRN merger with Alaska Public Media. In addition to running the newsroom, Lori hosts Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight.
Lori is an avid reader, a rabid gardener and loves to be outside, wandering the trails of Anchorage and Southcentral.
Reach Lori at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8452.
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People without an idea of where they would sleep, stay safe, cook or have access to bathroom facilities or running water, were made to leave the Sullivan Arena. Many of them will have no choice but to camp in area parks in the city. Why did the Sullivan close and what is the plan to address the needs of those who are without housing before next winter? We’ll talk with city leaders to find out on this Talk of Alaska. -
Will legislators find consensus on a budget by mid-May that the Governor will also agree to? We discuss the ideas for Alaska’s fiscal future on this Talk of Alaska. -
We discuss the way forward for eradicating PFAS contamination from Alaska’s water and soil on this Talk of Alaska -
Mary Peltola has been Alaska’s sole U.S. Congresswoman since last September when she won a special election, and although the legislative work that gets done in Congress may at times feel distant and far removed from the daily lives of Alaskans, the decisions made in Washington DC directly affect Alaska’s future. Some recent measures regarding energy, roads and the debate over which projects to prioritize has once again put a spotlight on Alaskan issues. What are the current legislative priorities of Alaska’s single representative? Congresswoman Mary Peltola joins us on this Talk of Alaska. -
Across the state, even in the snowiest places, the signs of spring are starting to appear. Crocus and tulips are already emerging in some areas and gardeners are poring over seed catalogs, dreaming of growing their own food and beautifying their yards with flowers and other plants. It’s an exciting time for people who like to dig in the dirt. We discuss what’s new for growing and harvesting in your backyard, on this Talk of Alaska. -
Alaska’s Southeast commercial salmon troll fleet is the target of a federal lawsuit that alleges the fishery threatens the chinook salmon food stock of endangered orca whales off the coast of Washington. The suit was brought against the federal government but seeks to shut down the 30 million dollar fishery this summer. Critics say it will decimate the livelihoods of Southeast troll fishermen and suggest other causes are depleting the whale’s food supply. We discuss the fight over fish and who has the right to them on this Talk of Alaska. -
The Biden administration has approved ConocoPhillips Willow project in the National Petroleum Reserve. Oil drilling proponents see it as a win for domestic energy production but some climate and indigenous activists call it a climate bomb that runs counter to President Biden’s commitment to addressing climate change. We’ll discuss the Willow decision on this Talk of Alaska. -
The Iditarod. Alaska’s iconic race is more than 50 years old. Fewer teams took off for Nome in 2023 than in any other year. Are the number of competitors down because of the added expense of inflation or is there something else at play? What does the future hold for long distance racing and sled dog racing overall? Race veterans discuss what’s on the horizon for dog drivers and their teams on this Talk of Alaska. -
Lawsuits challenging tribal sovereignty at both the state and federal level could have big implications for the future ability of tribes to exercise authority over tribal citizens and land. The state is suing over a land into trust application and The U.S. Supreme court is reviewing challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA that claim the law is discriminatory. What could these decisions mean for the future of tribal autonomy? We’ll discuss it on this Talk of Alaska. -
Alaska has long ranked at or near the top in the nation for rates of violence and sexual assault. Over the summer of 2022, lawmakers updated Alaska’s sexual assault laws, including a new definition of what defines consent. The law went into effect on January 1st, 2023. Why did it take decades to update the statutes and how might the changes affect prosecutions? Better legal tools to prevent assaults and help survivors is our discussion on this Talk of Alaska.
