Kimberly Adams, new host of 'Marketplace Morning Report,' talks about the role

NPR's A Martinez speaks with Kimberly Adams, the new host of the economic news radio show and podcast "Marketplace Morning Report."

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now, if you listen to this program on the regular, and we hope you do, then you know that Marketplace Morning Report airs in one of our hours depending on your local station. The radio show and podcast now has a new host, Kimberly Adams, and she is with us now to talk about her new gig. Good morning. Congratulations.

KIMBERLY ADAMS, BYLINE: Good morning. Thank you.

MARTIN: So you were previously Marketplace's senior Washington correspondent, covering the intersection of politics and the economy in the nation's capital. You were host of the Marketplace podcast Make Me Smart. How do you think that prepared you for this new job?

ADAMS: Well, it's so funny because it feels like politics is the economy these days, so you can't really report on one without the other. And especially when it comes to the decisions that happen in the nation's capital and how they filter down to people's everyday lives and how we spend our money and how much things cost, it's certainly top of mind for everyone. And on Make Me Smart, we really tried to dig deep into topics that would help people have smarter, casual conversations about the things in the news without it being overwhelming. And so I'm hoping to bring that energy to the morning show, since we're all caffeinated this time of morning anyway.

MARTIN: (Laughter) Speak for yourself.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: So, you know, Kimberly, I recall that you were an early bloomer. Is that a real word? You got your start in journalism early. You've been working part time as a journalist since you were in high school. What got you the journalism bug?

ADAMS: Yeah. I started when I was about 16 years old with a internship at our local TV station and studied journalism in college and then bopped around the world a few times and then came back and landed in public radio. But I realized, I think, pretty early on that journalism was really a way to not only get to talk to interesting people and do interesting things, but potentially help my own community - and whether that be my local community or the global community - be more informed about the things we encounter every day and hopefully make smarter decisions and, you know, figure out a way to be more informed citizens of our democracy.

MARTIN: It sounds like you were kind of a public service journalist before that was a thing.

ADAMS: I try. But I think that journalism has always been that for many of us, and yourself included. It just - we've been using it as a way to try to make sure especially folks in our country who maybe don't have regular access to the best information are able to learn about things in a way that's accessible to them.

MARTIN: I do want to mention you've also been a foreign correspondent. Can you just name one story that really made an impact on you?

ADAMS: When I was covering the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution, I remember interviewing a woman who had opened up a women's-only gym on the outskirts of Cairo, and she had saved, and she'd worked so hard to set this up. And then as the lead-up to the coup happened and the military crackdown began, she had to shut down her gym. And she walked me through it, and I remember it still smelled of lavender. And it was just a perfect example of how what's happening in politics domestically or globally filters down into the economy in so many ways.

MARTIN: Before I let you go, really fast, how do you think you're going to make this new hosting role yours?

ADAMS: I'm going to try to just be friendly with people. David, my predecessor was extremely friendly, also, but I want to just make it a little less anxious. The economy can be anxiety-inducing enough. I want to try to bring a little bit more calm to it all.

MARTIN: I think we will all appreciate that. That's Kimberly Adams, the new host of Marketplace Morning Report. You can hear her on marketplace.org or on your local radio station. Kimberly, thank you.

ADAMS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.