Legendary NPR Reporter Howard Berkes To Retire Following Black Lung Investigation

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Photo: Howard Berkes Interview Screenshot
NPR investigative reporter Howard Berkes interviews a subject in the trailer for the joint Frontline and NPR series about black lung in Appalachian miners.

Colorado airwaves will soon lose a familiar voice from a neighboring state.

NPR's award-winning investigative reporter Howard Berkes, who's based in Salt Lake City, is retiring next week.

During his nearly 40-year career, Berkes reported everything from the Challenger explosion to rural America to, most recently, the reoccurrence of black lung among Appalachian miners alongside Frontline.

Berkes talked to Colorado Matters about the years-long black lung investigation and his other favorite stories.