My name is Ben Matheson, I’m currently working as a volunteer news reporter at KNOM. I grew up in Minnesota and studied communication and international studies at Luther College. I spent a year in Denmark as an exchange student and got my first taste of the arctic in Norway. Before coming to Alaska, I worked in marketing in Minneapolis.
I began at KNOM in June of 2010 and have had the chance to cover everything from musk ox biology to Coast Guard icebreaking to the local school board and all parts in between. I’m certain that I have one of the coolest jobs in Alaska as I get to work on something different every day. I didn’t know when I came into work today that I would be covering a Norwegian oil company’s offshore drilling plans, an education funding bill in the legislature, and researching an upcoming sled dog race. I’ve seen grizzly bears from a bush plane and broadcasted from inside a snow cave.
In my free time, I like to explore the incredible backcountry around Nome and spend time biking, skiing, and hiking. I have a lot of fun getting outside and experiencing the vast tundra and the lakes, mountains, and rivers that make up Nome’s backyard.
