Ben Trefny

News Executive Editor

Ben Trefny is KALW's executive news editor.  He got his start in public radio in Eugene, Oregon, volunteering at KLCC while earning a Masters degree in journalism at the University of Oregon.

Ben and his wife moved to San Francisco upon graduation, where he worked as a reporter and producer for various public and commercial radio programs.  He always thought the Bay Area should have a nightly regional public radio news show, and his goal was met when KALW launched Crosscurrents in August of 2008.

Ben lives with his wife and twin children in San Francisco's Sunset District, near where Golden Gate Park meets Ocean Beach.  He strives for balance in his personal life, and to create informative, exciting, and engaging programming as a public radio journalist.

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4:46pm

Tue June 18, 2013
Economy/Labor/Biz

Should San Franciscans have the right work from home?

Credit Under CC license from Flickr user slworking2

Sunnyvale-based Yahoo made headlines earlier this year when CEO Marissa Mayer announced that employees would no longer be allowed to work from home. Now the City of San Francisco is entering a similar realm of debate. Supervisor David Chiu has proposed that it should be mandatory for all businesses operating in San Francisco to allow their workers who are parents or caregivers the option to change their work schedules at any time.

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10:07pm

Mon June 17, 2013
Education

A reporter's perspective on City College, from the Chronicle's Nanette Asimov

The story at City College of San Francisco has had a lot of twists and turns since last year, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s higher education reporter, Nanette Asimov, has been one of the public’s main sources for information on it. She sat down with KALW’s Ben Trefny to talk about how the school got to where it is today, and where it’s going next.

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6:15pm

Thu June 6, 2013
Transportation

Extended interview: Chronicle's Jaxon Vanderbeken on the Bay Bridge controversies

Credit Under CC license from Flickr user mrjoro

The Eastern span of the Bay Bridge is the region’s biggest-budget project. Plans for the seismically strong segment were first developed in 2002. It’s been more than a decade and the single suspension structure has cost more than $6 billion, which makes it overdue and over budget.

Recent issues involving snapping rods and improperly galvanized bolts may delay the long-awaited Labor Day opening.

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5:43pm

Thu June 6, 2013
Transportation

The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Bay Bridge

Credit flickr

The Eastern span of the Bay Bridge is the region’s biggest-budget project. Plans for the seismically strong segment were first developed in 2002. It’s been more than a decade and the single suspension structure has cost more than $6 billion, which makes it overdue and over budget.

Recent issues involving snapping rods and improperly galvanized bolts may delay the long-awaited Labor Day opening.

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5:51pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Arts & Culture

Behind the science of sports obsession

Millions of people are crazy about sports, whether or not their teams are any good. Exactly why that is is the subject of Eric Simons’ new book: The Secret Lives of Sports Fans: The Science of Sports Obsession. Simons sat down with KALW’s Ben Trefny to talk about the chemistry of fandom.

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