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Host, Seattle's Morning News

Charlie Harger

About

I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the stories that shape life in western Washington. I host Seattle’s Morning News on KIRO Newsradio, where I help listeners start their day informed, prepared, and sometimes even entertained.

My reporting has earned multiple national and regional awards, including several Edward R. Murrow Awards. I’ve also been named APTRA’s Radio Reporter of the Year and recognized for investigative reporting on major stories like the Boeing 737 MAX crisis and interviews with serial killer Gary Ridgway.

I specialize in making complex issues understandable, focusing on how news affects real people. I’m a fourth-generation western Washington resident and have called Auburn home for over a decade.

Before hosting, I served as News Director at KIRO, worked at KOMO for nearly two decades, and taught journalism at Green River College. I take news seriously — but believe the best reporting connects on a human level.

Expertise

  • Broadcast Journalism and Storytelling
  • Investigative and Accountability Reporting
  • Community Impact and Public Service Journalism

Experience

  • Host, Seattle’s Morning News – KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • News Director – KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • Reporter and Anchor – KOMO Newsradio
  • Broadcast Instructor – Green River College
  • Communications and Digital Media – Microsoft and tech startups

Education

B.A., Communications – Thomas Edison State University
M.S., Strategic Communication – Arkansas State University

Achievements & Awards

  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Hard News (2020)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Continuing Coverage (2019)
  • APTRA Award – Best Investigative Reporting (2019, 2014)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Best Newswriting (2015)
  • APTRA Award – Radio Reporter of the Year (2015)
  • APTRA Award – Best Spot News Coverage (2015)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award – Best Documentary (2014)
  • APTRA Award – Enterprise Coverage (2014)
  • Emmy Nomination – Investigative Journalism (2014)

Social Media Profiles

Harger: Teen assaults 80-year-old in Seattle — and is sent home the same day. What message does that send?

Here's the pattern: arrest, process, release. All in the same day. And when these teens turn 18, the system often works exactly the same way.
11 months ago

Harger: Sawant rallies the far left. Mamdani works with Trump. Where does Seattle Mayor-elect Wilson fit?

Watching them navigate President Trump's personality is revealing something fascinating: Even socialists can't agree on whether to charm or confront while implementing their agenda.
11 months ago

Homeless encampments return to Seattle park as advocates fear policy reversal under Mayor-elect Katie Wilson

The rapid return of homeless encampments to this park overlooking the city's skyline has neighbors and advocates worried it signals what's to come when Mayor-elect Katie Wilson takes office.
11 months ago

Harger: As Seattle embraces a Democratic Socialist mayor, fears of a business exodus emerge

Look, Katie Wilson's not crazy. Maybe she's betting businesses need what Seattle offers enough to stay despite new taxes. But will businesses flee?
12 months ago

Harger: As nation follows Epstein revelations, local media ignores Auburn pastor’s child rape case

Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus wrote a letter for Headley’s attorney to share with the judge before sentencing, asking that he not serve prison time even though he had admitted to felony charges for raping a child.
12 months ago

Harger: Seattle’s new mayor eyes progressive taxes, but will middle-class homeowners pay the price?

What's Katie Wilson's solution? Translation: lots of new taxes to fund social housing and government services. But she promises real estate taxes are only targeting the ultra-wealthy.
12 months ago

Harger: King County budget vote will decide whether victims get equal justice

The King County Council votes on the budget for the prosecutor's office tomorrow. Let's be clear-eyed about what they're deciding.
12 months ago

Harger: Bruce Harrell finally showed us ‘B-Rucy’ — the mayor Seattle never got

Bruce Harrell finally showed up yesterday. Not Mayor Harrell, the carefully scripted public official. But someone else entirely. He even called himself "Master B-Russell."
12 months ago

Harger: Katie Wilson’s big promises meet Seattle’s harsh fiscal reality

KIRO Newsradio hasn't made the official call, but if I were to wager: Mayor Bruce Harrell's speech at 12 p.m. Thursday will be a concession, and by this time tomorrow we'll be calling her "Mayor-elect Katie Wilson."
12 months ago

Marysville sky phenomenon explained: What caused the bizarre ‘hole-punch cloud’?

Looking up at the Saturday afternoon sky, many residents saw what appeared to be a massive tear in the clouds above Marysville.
12 months ago

‘The Case of the Deflated Dachshunds’: What a petty crime says about accountability

About a month ago, I told you how someone slashed all six inflatable Halloween wiener dogs on our lawn in Auburn.
12 months ago

Harger: WA tolerating its way to dead last in retail theft

I keep saying we get what we tolerate, and it turns out we're willing to tolerate a lot in Washington. A recent study ranks WA last in America for retail theft.
12 months ago

According to ex-mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle’s mayoral election could be decided by 65 votes

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell went to bed Thursday night with a comfortable lead. By Friday afternoon, that all changed. Katie Wilson has surged to within 4,300 votes.
12 months ago

Will the ‘Friday jump’ save Katie Wilson? Seattle awaits crucial ballot drop to decide mayoral race

Clear your calendar for 4 p.m. Friday, Seattleites. That's when the city will have a good chance to predict who the next mayor will be.
12 months ago

Harger: State Senate Budget Chair warns lawmakers that WA is broke

Senator June Robinson relayed a simple message: Don't even bother asking for new spending. The cupboard is bare. We're broke.
12 months ago

Harger: It’s only Socialism when Democrats do it

So here we are: Democrats seizing grocery stores, Republicans seizing tech companies and the steel industry, and everyone pretending their version doesn't count.
12 months ago

Sistek: NOAA denies Hurricane Hunter flight for WA storm as La Niña boosts Seattle snow chances

A Hurricane Hunter flight won’t be tracking this week’s West Coast storm, according to NOAA. Seattle weather blogger Scott Sistek says that despite the denial, La Niña is giving the region a good shot at snow this winter.
1 year ago

Harger: When Congress plays politics with SNAP, the American public pays the price

Have we really come to this? We're continuing a government shutdown, and we're cutting poor families off SNAP food benefits?
1 year ago

Election Day in WA: Are we about to cross the political event horizon?

Today is election day in Seattle, King County, and across Washington state. I can't help feeling we're about to cross the event horizon.
1 year ago

Harger: Democracy only works if you vote, participate in Election Day

Tomorrow is Election Day, and it's one of my favorite days of the year. I know that sounds strange, given how ugly our politics have become. But hear me out.
1 year ago

Harger: Your 1980s Halloween costume would get you fired today

Have fun tonight, get a designated driver, and may your costume, whatever it is, still be socially acceptable in 40 years.
1 year ago

Harger: Nvidia hits $5 trillion valuation as layoffs sweep tech industry

Nvidia just became the first company in history worth five trillion dollars. Meanwhile, Amazon announced 14,000 job cuts this week.
1 year ago

It’s time for the ‘Stupid Motorist Law’ in WA, and maybe a few more

King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn has had enough. He's proposing what he calls the Stupid Motorist Law.
1 year ago

Harger: A look at Katie Wilson’s background as Seattle’s mayoral frontrunner

Discover Katie Wilson's background and insights as she leads Seattle's mayoral race, impacting the city's future leadership.
1 year ago