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Chris Bolt
General ManagerChris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards. Recent reporting has focused on health and medicine, environment, elderly, substance abuse and culture reporting.
Chris has a doctor of education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College and a master’s in broadcast journalism from the Newhouse School.
In addition to coverage of our community, equally satisfying has been the success of so many WAER alumni, students who have won and succeeded in jobs in news, sports and elsewhere in media, many of whom won awards at local, state and national levels as students. He has also taught classes at Newhouse and at OCC. Chris also enjoys connecting WAER with the community through moderating debates, facilitating and hosting public meetings, giving media training workshops and other events.
Chris and his wife Anne live in downtown Syracuse. They have two grown sons, Carter and Donovan, who both remain in the area. Their family enjoys all things Upstate New York, including myriad outdoor activities in the Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, music and other cultural events, and just about anything on a trail or on the water.
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Central NY Gas Prices Rise with Temperatures
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Media literacy is increasingly important as social and digital media become bigger parts of people’s lives. Education around what exactly is in media messages can include knowing the source, taking a critical look at whether there’s political intent or a profit motive.
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New York officials estimate, each year, fireworks send more than 150 people to the emergency room, most of them in July.
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Traffic fatalities in the state jumped more than 25% between 2019 and 2022, despite drivers logging fewer miles, according to a report from New York Comptroller
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The Say Yes to Education program turns 15 this year. The program that assists students getting into college says it's helped more than 6000 students access and help pay for college at more than 100 institutions.
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The Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board recommends a former fraternity house and mansion be added the list of protected sites, property Syracuse University hoped to demolish for a housing project.
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The times and broadcast networks are set for five games of the 2024 season for Syracuse University Football team so Orange fans can start planning.
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WAER staff won awards for best spot news coverage, best sports story and honorable mention for best news feature by Syracuse Press Club.
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Syracuse Auditor Alexander Marion calls Utica hypocritical for cancelling raising of a Pride flag, while it raises other flags. He invites LGBTQ+ groups to Syracuse's June 1 Pride Flag raising.
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Syracuse would put money into housing in challenged areas as well as middle-income areas in plan being developed by Mayor Ben Walsh. Public input is now being sought.