70° Partly Cloudy
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: Dual Crises For The Trump Administration
- Oct. 18
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
The Trump White House tries to keep pace with an impeachment inquiry at home and a foreign policy crisis in the Middle East. Congressman Duncan Hunter fails to secure the endorsement of the San Diego County Republican Party for his reelection campaign. And a look at how California is better prepared for earthquakes 30 years after Loma Prieta quake.
San Diego Company Says It Can Extract Lithium From Geothermal Brine
- Oct. 16
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
Lithium-ion batteries are central to modern life; from mobile phones to electric vehicles. But the United States lacks a major source of lithium.
Roundtable: Wildfire Risk Leaves California In The Dark
- Oct. 11
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
Utility companies across the state enact preventative power outages amid an escalating risk for wildfires. San Diego State University negotiates with the city council over the purchase price for the Mission Valley stadium site. And, an analysis of crime data from the San Diego Police Department reveals a small percentage of vehicle break-ins result in arrests.
SDSU Celebrates 50 Years Of Chicana-Chicano Studies
- Oct. 9
- By Marissa Cabrera, Mark Sauer
San Diego State University's Chicana and Chicano Studies Department was one of the first of its kind in the nation when it was established in 1969 as Mexican American studies.
Roundtable: Trump Versus The Media
- Oct. 4
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
President Trump lashes out at the media amid new developments in the impeachment inquiry; a new California law will allow college student-athletes to use their image and likeness for paid work; and the San Diego Padres look for a new manager after another losing season.
Why A Decrease In 3 Billion North American Birds Matters
- Oct. 1
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
In the half-century since 1970, the number of birds in North America has declined by an estimated three billion — that's a 29 percent decrease.
Roundtable: San Diego’s Climate Crisis
- Sept. 20
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
The impact of climate change on local businesses and homes, our oceans, and the California National Guard.
San Diego Congressional Leaders Discuss Climate Crisis
- Sept. 16
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
After years of virtually ignoring the issue, some leaders in Washington, at least among Democrats, are directly addressing the climate crisis. KPBS reached four of San Diego’s congressional representatives and asked the same questions about climate change.
Roundtable: Assembly Bill 5
- Sept. 13
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
California's controversial new law affecting gig workers heads to Governor Newsom's desk. Big development plans are on the horizon for Mission Valley. Who will replace Susan Davis once she exits the 53rd District.
Roundtable: San Diego Unified School District Misconduct Records
- Sept. 6
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
San Diego Unified High School District's misconduct records raise questions. A controversial vaccination bill heads to Gov. Newsom's desk. Will the weight of injuries to NFL players change the course of the game.