Amy Isackson has been the border reporter at KPBS in San Diego since 2004. She covers breaking news and feature stories on California-Mexico border issues and immigration, for local and national broadcast.
Amy got her start in public radio by pitching a series of stories about rural New Zealand - horse dentistry and sheep sheering - to Radio New Zealand's "Country Life" program. She then worked with Peabody Award-winning radio producers Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson, to help create the Sonic Memorial, a series of stories on the World Trade Center before, during and after 9/11.
Since joining KPBS, Amy's work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press Television-Radio Association of California and Nevada, the California Chicano News Media Association, and the San Diego Press Club. Most recently, she won the Sol Price Prize for Responsible Journalism for her story about high school students smuggling people and drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Prior to venturing into the wonderful world of public radio, Amy worked for Yahoo! Inc. for nearly five years as an editorial surfer, associate producer and broadcast communications manager. She majored in Latin American History at Williams College. She grew up in San Diego and made frequent trips south of the border.
Recent Stories
Mexico Arrests Two More Alleged Members Of Drug Cartel
A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman say that Manuel Garcia Simental and Raydel Lopez Uriarte, who allegedly operated in Tijuana, were detained by Mexican law enforcement in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Monday morning.
Two Alleged Members of Mexican Drug Gang Arrested
Mexican federal police say two drug gang leaders arrested Monday morning in La Paz were Teodoro Garcia Simental's successors. Before his arrest, Teodoro Garcia Simental, or "El Teo," headed a drug gang in Tijuana that sparked the most violent period in the city's history.
New Campaign Aims To Empower Residents Of Tijuana
A few companies in Tijuana hope that a series of slogans printed on billboards and banners around the city will help empower residents.
San Diego Mayor Says Wheels Turning On Border Transport Hub
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders says the funding process for a new transportation center at the San Ysidro border crossing is moving forward. He has been in Washington, D.C. to lobby for the project.
Baja California Police Detain Man With Sniper Rifle
Baja California police say a man they detained who had a high calibre armor piercing gun offered officers $20,000 to let him go.
Mom Of 2 Missing Tijuana Children Gives DNA Sample In S.D.
The mother of two children who went missing in Tijuana during heavy rains nearly two weeks ago provided a DNA sample in San Diego Monday. She wants to know if the bodies of two children found here last week are her children.
SDSU, Baja Calif. Public Safety Agree To Share Info And Resources
San Diego State University officials and Baja California's Secretary of Public Safety plan to work together to create systems to securely share information across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Child's Body Not One Of The Two Missing Children From Tijuana
Mexican consular officials in San Diego say the child's body found Wednesday afternoon at the border near Border Field State Park is not one of the two Tijuana children who remain missing after last week's rains.
ICE Arrests 8 Tied To San Diego Gangs With Mexican Cartel Connections
U.S. officials say the gangs are based in North County, Barrio Logan and Lemon Grove. The arrests are part of a nationwide crackdown on transnational gangs.
Study Finds Immigrants Generate 25% Of GDP In San Diego County
A new study by the California Immigrant Policy Center finds that immigrants generate about 25 percent of San Diego County's gross domestic product.
