Maria Martin's Bio

María Martin has more than 20 years of experience working in Latino public broadcasting. Prior to developing the GraciasVida Center for the Media, Martin spent nearly ten years at Latino USA. She also worked as Latino affairs editor at National Public Radio's national desk, where she was responsible for assigning and editing reports from staff and freelance reporters for All Things Considered and Morning Edition. She also served as coordinating producer for special projects, such as the ten-part "AIDS in the Latino Community" series, and Hispanic Heritage Week specials for Horizons. Martin also served as the western editor at the national desk. She joined National Public Radio (NPR) in 1989 as editor for Latin File, a daily national program of Latino affairs.

Before joining NPR, Martin was the editor and host of the Latin American News Service (LANS), a seven-minute daily modular service of Latin American affairs. She also worked as a freelance reporter and independent producer for NPR, Crossroads, Soundprint, and Noticiero Latino. In 1986, she worked in Managua, Nicaragua, as a freelance reporter. She also was a reporter and producer at KUOW-FM in Seattle, Washington, an NPR affiliate. From 1983 to 1984, she was the executive producer of Elecciones '84, a nationwide bilingual news feature service on Latino election issues, the first independently produced Latino program distributed by National Public Radio.

Martin began her radio career in California, where from 1981 to 1983 she was the senior reporter and producer for California en Revista and correspondent for California Edition, programs produced by California Public Radio. From 1980 to 1981 she covered the California state legislature for California Public Radio in Sacramento. Martin's first post in radio was as news and public affairs director for KBBF, a bilingual radio station in Santa Rosa, California. She started as a volunteer reporter and co-producer of Somos Chicanas, one of the first radio programs to address the needs and concerns of Hispanic women.

Martin is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Austin-Area Hispanic Journalists, and serves as vice-president of the board of Youth Radio. She graduated from Sonoma State University, and carried out language studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City and the Instituto Francisco Marroquín in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

Awards

• International Knight Press Fellowship (2001)
• Fulbright Fellowship (2001)
• Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (2000)
• First Place, Radio Category, National Association of Hispanic Journalists (1999)
• Ruben Salazar Communications Award, National Council of La Raza (1998)
• Guillermo Martínez Marquez, National Association of Hispanic Journalists(1998)
• Kiplinger Fellowship in Public Affairs Reporting for 1998-1999, Ohio State University
• "Best Voice on the Radio" Award, Austin Chronicle Readers' Poll (1998)
• Unda-USA Gabriel Award, Producer, "For Grief of a Child" (1998)