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Mark Sauer
Host, The Roundtable
A newspaperman for more than 30 years, Mark Sauer joined KPBS in October 2010 and currently serves as the host of the KPBS Roundtable, airing each Friday on radio and TV.
He spent 27 years as a reporter and editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune after stints at The Houston Post and at two papers in his native Michigan.
A features/human-interest writer in the UT's Currents section for many years, Mark also spent about a third of his UT career as an editor and reporter on the Metro Desk. He has covered a wide range of events: Wild fires in Southern California and Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast; Super Bowls and the World Series; foster care and child-abuse issues; the Roman Catholic Diocese's sexual-abuse scandal and bankruptcy; royal visits of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Diana; Republican and Democratic national conventions; high-profile criminal trials; and many other stories, from the silly to the sublime. Along the way, he interviewed everyone from presidents to pan-handlers.
His work exposing the false accusations and prosecutions of several San Diegans for murder, rape and child abuse garnered Pulitzer Prize nominations and many regional and local journalism awards, including Best in the West, the Sol Price Award for Responsible Journalism and several San Diego and California bar-association awards.
Mark has a degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
Recent Stories by Mark Sauer
Roundtable: SDG&E Wants A Minimum Rate Hike
- Aug. 16
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
SDG&E requests a rate increase due to growing use of solar energy, documents show how a building renovation at SDSU was mishandled, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park says the birth of a new rhino will help save an endangered species.
Want To Stop Using Plastics But Don't Know How? Here Are Some Tips
- Aug. 13
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
More than 360 million tons of plastic are produced annually and nearly 13 million tons end up in our oceans each year. Will McCullum of Greenpeace UK offers a practical guide to reducing reliance on plastics in his book, “How To Give Up Plastic: A Guide To Changing The World One Plastic Bottle At A Time.”
Roundtable: Funding The Affordable Housing Crisis
- Aug. 2
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
San Diego moves to ease the city's affordable housing crisis. As climate change continues, ice is melting in the north and homeowners are having a tough time protecting their properties from damage.
Roundtable: Turmoil Continues For SANDAG
- July 26
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
More shakeups at San Diego's regional planning agency, the disappearing Southern California coastline and the proposed tower near Seaport Village.
How The San Diego Catholic Diocese Is Raising Awareness About Climate Change
- July 16
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
July marks the fourth anniversary of the launch of a campaign by Pope Francis to rally the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics in the fight against climate change.
Roundtable: African Migrants Protest Treatment By Mexican Authorities In Tijuana
- July 12
- By Mark Sauer, Pat Finn
Migrants from Cameroon have been waiting in Tijuana for more than two months to cross into the U.S. to seek asylum. Most are members of the English-speaking minority, which has faced intense persecution since 2016.
What Could A Canada, California Agreement On Auto Pollution Standards Mean For Automakers?
- July 8
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
Canada joined California in the fight against President Trump’s plan to weaken auto pollution standards. The agreement between the country and the state is non-binding.
Roundtable: Gallagher Trial Concludes
- July 5
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher is a free man after being acquitted of murder. SeaWorld is bouncing back, but PETA remains a strong opponent. USC admits blame for poaching a UC San Diego's research program.
Roundtable: Turmoil At The Border
- June 28
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
A national outcry over conditions at an immigration detention center for children, San Diego mayoral candidates spar over plans for more housing, and election reforms are leading to more diversity in some local governments.
How One Man Stopped Flying To Decrease His Carbon Footprint
- June 27
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
Peter Kalmus is a climate scientist based near Los Angeles. In 2010, he began a personal quest to decrease his carbon footprint.