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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
Salk Scientists Plan To Combat Climate Change With Plants
- April 17
- By Mark Sauer, Megan Burke
A team of plant scientists at The Salk Institute believes their simple idea of harnessing the power of plants to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their roots could have a dramatic impact on efforts to combat climate change.
Connecting Climate Change To The Surge Of Migrants At The Border
- April 16
- By Mark Sauer, Megan Burke
In a recent series of reports for The New Yorker, staff writer Jonathan Blitzer examines how climate change is fueling an exodus of Guatemalan migrants coming to the U.S. border.
Roundtable: Julian Firefighters Standoff
- April 12
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
A standoff in Julian over the future of its volunteer fire department, county supervisors want a comprehensive strategy for electric cars, and Elise Hu talks about her work as a reporter for NPR.
Rep. Scott Peters Publishes Collection Of Climate Change Bills In 'Playbook'
- April 11
- By Mark Sauer, Megan Burke
Scott Peters, D-San Diego, has put forth a “Climate Playbook,” a compendium of 53 climate change bills in various stages of legislative development that address the issue of global warming.
How Libraries Help Make Communities Stronger
- April 11
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
Bestselling science-fiction author Cory Doctorow will give a lecture on the role of libraries in the community. The event is being held to mark National Library Week and the Friends of The San Diego Library's 40th anniversary.
Roundtable: President Trump’s Border Closure Threat
- April 5
- By Bennett Lacy, Mark Sauer
President Trump visits the border amid his latest closure threat, complaints about privately-run military housing at Camp Pendleton, and the new suicide-prevention barrier on the Coronado bridge.
What A Disappearing Yosemite Glacier Tells Us About Climate Change
- April 4
- By Mark Sauer, Megan Burke
Even longtime Californians might be surprised to learn of modern-day glaciers in the state. But the fact is remnants of the Lyell Glacier, in Yosemite National Park, are about to disappear.
8th Annual San Diego Arab Film Festival Kicks Off Friday
- April 1
- By Brooke Ruth, Mark Sauer
The festival will include films from and about Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Organizers say the festival aims to build understanding and appreciation of the local Arab community.
Roundtable: White Nationalist Activity At Local Colleges
- March 29
- By Aly Sadik, Mark Sauer
A discussion about white supremacist activity at San Diego colleges, an illegal ballot measure that's forcing San Diego to compensate thousands of city workers, utility companies transforming wastewater into natural gas and opening day for the Padres.
Union-Tribune: Leaked Chats Show White Nationalists Recruiting On San Diego College Campuses
- March 25
- By Mark Sauer and Emiliano Limon
Reporter Andrew Dyer wrote, "A Union-Tribune review of the chat logs reveals a local branch of Identity Evropa has visited local colleges at least a dozen times since Fall 2017."