Sam Turken

Sam Turken is a news reporter for WHRO Public Media, covering the environment, housing, and other social justice issues.

Since joining the eastern Virginia NPR station in 2020, he’s broken stories about the federal government’s flood insurance program, Virginia’s rent relief initiative, and a massive public housing redevelopment project in Norfolk.

He also enjoys covering quirky issues unique to southeast Virginia, like a “haunted” road connecting Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. His reports have aired nationwide for NPR shows such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Here & Now.

Before WHRO, Turken worked at Boston’s NPR station. He also was an audio reporter and producer in Miami, primarily contributing to podcasts and South Florida’s NPR station. He covered sea level rise, the Parkland school shooting, and political instability in Venezuela. Turken also spent some time driving around Miami, looking for relatives of a convicted contracted murderer.

A Miami native, Turken graduated from Duke University, where he studied public policy, history, and journalism. He currently lives in Norfolk.