Longtime Iowa political reporter Yepsen to retire

Longtime Iowa political reporter David Yepsen announced this week that he will retire as host of Iowa PBS’s weekly public affairs program, which he has also served as a guest panelist on for decades. 

Yepsen, who started his stint as host of “Iowa Press” in January 2017, said that his final show as anchor and moderator of the program will be Friday, Sep. 10. 

“This show has been a part of my life for many years and it’s hard to leave all the great people here at the network,” the political journalist wrote in a statement. 

“Iowa PBS is an important force that helps hold Iowa together by providing everyone with educational and cultural opportunities free of charge,” he continued, adding that it helps in “providing voters with information they need to make intelligent decisions about the issues we face.”

“It’s been an honor to be a part of it all,” Yepsen concluded. 

Yepsen first began appearing as a panelist on the PBS program in the 1970s as a government and politics reporter for The Des Moines Register, and throughout his career has also provided commentary on a range of national news programs, including PBS NewsHour and shows on CNN, Fox, MSNBC and CSPAN. 

Andrew Batt, a senior producer of Iowa Press, tweeted Tuesday that Yepsen since 2017 has taped more than 200 Iowa Press shows, debates and specials, and has been on thousands of Iowa public television political programs for roughly five decades. 

Our @IowaPBS host @DavidYepsen is retiring from @IowaPress in September. He taped more than 200 Iowa Press shows, debates and specials since his IA return in 2017.

But was on thousands of political programs at IPTV/IPBN since 1970s pic.twitter.com/4KUFPjCHNg

— Andrew Batt (@AndBatt) August 24, 2021

Batt said in a statement this week that for decades, “Iowans have benefitted from David Yepsen’s journalistic persistence and political acumen.” 

“His historical perspective of Iowa politics is unmatched but often shared with a younger generation of journalists,” he added. “Leading up to his well-earned retirement, David has left our viewers better informed about the leaders and issues that define public policy in Iowa.”

Iowa PBS said in its news release on Yepsen’s departure that the veteran journalist will return in the future for political specials and other broadcasts. 

The news network added that it plans to announce Yepsen’s replacement “at a later date.” 

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Molly Phillips, Iowa PBS executive director and general manager, praised the outgoing Iowa Press host for bringing “his lifelong love of politics, his Iowa Caucus expertise and his insightful and historical analysis to our network.” 

“He has been an integral part of Iowa PBS’s public affairs team,” she added. “He helped Iowa PBS to thoughtfully document and frame the events of 2020, the most historic year of our generation.”