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Rachel Martin

Rachel Martin is an American journalist and radio host known for her work with National Public Radio (NPR), where she currently serves as the co-creator and host of the interview game show podcast Wild Card, which explores life's biggest questions through conversations with notable guests. After leaving Morning Edition in 2023, she hosted the NPR series Enlighten Me on spirituality and meaning before launching Wild Card in 2024. She previously co-hosted NPR's flagship morning news program Morning Edition for six years alongside Steve Inskeep and A Martínez, and was the founding host of the award-winning daily news podcast Up First. Earlier in her career, Martin hosted Weekend Edition Sunday from 2012 to 2016 and served as NPR's national security correspondent, covering topics such as defense, intelligence, and international conflicts including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Martin's reporting career began as a producer and reporter at KQED in after interning there during her studies, and she joined as a stringer in following her graduate education. She has also worked as a foreign correspondent, reporting from locations such as the London attacks, Europe's cultural shifts, on , and the Ukraine-Belarus border amid the 2022 Russian invasion. Additionally, Martin held roles as 's religion correspondent in 2006–2007 and co-host of the experimental news program The Bryant Park Project. Her journalism often focuses on , , , , and social issues, with notable interviews including General and then-Vice President . Born in , , and raised in , Martin earned a B.A. in from the in 1996, where she was influenced by faculty in politics and government, and later received an honorary doctorate in 2014. She then obtained an M.A. in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 2004, concentrating on media and while interning at the . Throughout her career, Martin has received several prestigious awards, including the Religion News Writers Association's Best Radio Feature award in 2007 for her coverage of Islam in America, the National Association of Black Journalists' Salute to Excellence Award in 2011 for a story on racial discrimination in Hollywood, and a Gracie Award in 2019 for her series on the opioid epidemic's impact on children. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two sons.

Early life and education

Early life

Rachel Martin was born in , , and raised in , a rural community of about 50,000 people known for its predominantly white, Mormon population and as home to the , the area's largest employer. She grew up in a close-knit family with two siblings, sister and brother Paul, and supportive parents Stephen and Linda, who encouraged intellectual curiosity and exposure to diverse religious ideas without rigid ; her father, with a Presbyterian and Baptist background, approached faith pragmatically through scripture and study of . Both parents later passed away—Linda in 2009 at age 60 and Stephen in 2021 at age 74—leaving Martin and her siblings as "grown-up orphans," a loss that prompted deep reflection on family, , and community. The Mormon cultural milieu of Idaho Falls shaped Martin's early views on community and faith, even as her family's religious explorations were more eclectic. During high school, she developed an initial interest in storytelling and current events, culminating in delivering a profound speech at her graduation from in 1992, an experience that foreshadowed her future in .

Education

Rachel Martin earned a degree in politics and government from the in , in 1996. In recognition of her contributions to journalism and public service, the university awarded her an honorary degree in 2014. This undergraduate education provided a foundational understanding of political systems and , which later informed her reporting on domestic and international affairs. Martin pursued advanced studies at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where she completed a in international affairs in 2004. Her coursework emphasized global policy, , and the 's role in international reporting, including an independent concentration in media and democracy that equipped her to analyze complex geopolitical issues through journalistic lenses. During her graduate studies, Martin extended her academic focus on international affairs through freelance reporting in during the summer of 2003, where she covered the country's post-invasion reconstruction efforts for . This hands-on experience bridged her formal education with professional , honing her skills in on-the-ground international coverage.

Career

Early career

Following her undergraduate studies, Rachel Martin began her career as a and reporter at public radio station KQED in . In this role, she honed her skills in local and regional reporting, contributing to news segments on issues before transitioning to international assignments. In 2003, Martin freelanced for NPR in Afghanistan, where she reported on the post-9/11 reconstruction efforts, the country's first democratic presidential election, women's rights initiatives, transitional justice processes, and the dynamics between NATO forces and the Taliban. Her on-the-ground coverage captured the challenges of nation-building in a war-torn region, including interviews with local Afghans navigating political upheaval. From 2005 to 2006, Martin served as an foreign correspondent based in , , focusing on European affairs such as trends, cultural , and major security incidents. She provided extensive reporting on the 2005 London terrorist attacks, detailing the investigations, community responses, and policy shifts in the aftermath, including police raids and suspect profiles. Her dispatches also covered the German federal elections and the , highlighting political and social tensions across the continent. Returning to the in 2006, Martin continued her work by covering domestic crises, notably arriving on the campus within hours of the 2007 that claimed 33 lives. She reported on the immediate chaos, student and faculty reactions, memorial services, and the ongoing investigation into shooter , offering firsthand accounts from Blacksburg amid national mourning. In July 2008, Martin joined as a Washington, D.C.-based , where she briefly covered national politics, foreign policy, and faith-related stories for programs like World News with and Weekend . This short tenure allowed her to build expertise in U.S. governmental affairs before returning to public radio.

NPR correspondent roles

Rachel Martin served as 's from 2006 to 2007, during which she produced in-depth features exploring the role of faith in contemporary American life. Her reporting emphasized personal and cultural dimensions of religious practice, including a notable piece on in that earned the "Best Radio Feature" award from the Religion News Writers Association. This work highlighted themes of integration and identity among Muslim communities, contributing to 's coverage of domestic religious dynamics amid tensions. In May 2010, Martin returned to after a period at , taking on the role of National Security Correspondent, where she focused on , , and affairs. Building on her earlier foreign reporting experience, including from , she covered critical issues such as U.S. efforts in , including the 2010 leadership transition from General Stanley McChrystal to General following controversial remarks in a profile. Her reporting also examined operations, such as the arrest of alleged Russian spies in the United States and the balance between surveillance and rights. Throughout her tenure, Martin addressed broader global security topics, including U.S. foreign policy challenges and strategies. She reported on the implications of deployments, such as women's roles in zones without traditional front lines, and the CIA's use of for threat assessment. These stories provided context on evolving threats, from domestic extremism to international , underscoring the intersections of policy, ethics, and global stability.

Hosting positions

Martin began her NPR hosting career as co-host of , an experimental morning news show launched in 2007 to attract a younger audience through a multimedia format blending news, culture, and conversation. The two-hour daily program, co-hosted with and others, aired from and featured live discussions on current events, but it was discontinued in 2009 after struggling to build a broad listenership. In January 2012, Martin took over as host of Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR's weekly magazine-style program that combines in-depth news analysis, features, and interviews. During her four-year tenure, she conducted notable interviews with world leaders such as and cultural figures, earning praise for her incisive and empathetic style that drew millions of listeners to the show each weekend. Her approach emphasized human stories behind global events, enhancing the program's reputation for thoughtful engagement. Martin expanded her role in 2017 as a founding host of NPR's daily news Up First, launched on April 3 to deliver concise 10-minute briefings on top stories for busy morning audiences. Co-hosted with and David Greene, the podcast quickly gained popularity, reaching millions of listeners and growing 50% in its early years by prioritizing clear, digestible summaries over extended analysis. That same year, she transitioned to co-hosting NPR's flagship starting in December 2016, partnering with and later others to cover breaking news, including major elections and global crises like the . Over her six years on the weekday program until early 2023, Martin's hosting contributed to its status as one of public radio's most listened-to shows, with her background in national security reporting adding depth to coverage of international affairs.

Recent projects

In February 2023, Rachel Martin stepped away from her daily hosting duties on NPR's after six years, transitioning to a new role focused on developing projects exploring , , and personal meaning. That year, Martin created and hosted the Enlighten Me series for , a collection of in-depth conversations with guests on constructing lives of purpose and significance. The series delves into themes such as faith in the wake of loss, as examined in discussions on familial grief and spiritual reckoning, and transcendent experiences that reshape perspectives on mortality. Notable episodes feature comedian reflecting on psychedelic insights and afterlife beliefs. In 2024, Martin co-created and began hosting the NPR podcast , an innovative interview format blending elements of a with existential inquiry. Guests draw from a deck of cards to guide unpredictable discussions on profound life questions, such as fears, joys, and personal philosophies, diverging from conventional celebrity interviews. Episodes include appearances by actor and producer , who explored influences like on her worldview (June 2024), actor , sharing insights on satisfaction, , and relational vulnerability (October 2025), and more recently , who discussed her memoir, college experiences, activism, and (November 2025). Martin extended her exploratory journalism to public events, including an appearance at the 2024 National Book Festival, where she moderated a live conversation with author on storytelling's capacity to illuminate human experiences, incorporating elements of the Wild Card format.

Personal life

Family

Rachel Martin is married to Luke Martin. She and her husband have two sons; their younger son was born on June 15, 2014. In 2022, her sons were ages 10 and 8. Martin has spoken about balancing her demanding career with life, noting the benefits of her work-from-home schedule since , which allows her to have breakfast with her children after morning broadcasts. Her mother, , died of cancer in 2009 at age 60, and her father, , died in 2021 at age 74 from a ruptured , leaving Martin and her siblings as adults navigating .

Religious and philosophical views

Rachel Martin was raised in a deeply religious environment in , where her family had lived for five generations as farmers in a homogenous, conservative community. Her exposure to faith came through her parents, who provided what she later described as "spiritual scaffolding" for their children. Her father, Stephen, approached pragmatically, focusing on scripture and drawing from a Presbyterian and Baptist background while intellectually studying other faiths; her mother, , initially explored ideas like and before aligning more closely with her husband's beliefs during her illness. The family was taught to appreciate multiple religious perspectives without viewing others as inherently wrong, fostering an open yet grounded approach to . The deaths of her parents—her mother in 2009 at age 60 and her father in 2021 at age 74—prompted Martin to confront profound questions about and , leaving her feeling like a "grown-up " adrift without her inherited spiritual structure. In a 2023 personal essay and conversation with her siblings, she expressed uncertainty about the , stating, "I don’t know," while grappling with an existential void and the compulsion to "fill it up" through renewed exploration of meaning. Her siblings offered varied perspectives: her brother views as a shared that returns to the universe after death, and her sister , initially angry toward after their mother's passing, finds solace in personal and coincidences rather than traditional religious frameworks. Martin has reflected that this loss robbed her of clarity, leading her to question how to rebuild independently. These experiences deeply influenced Martin's Enlighten Me series, launched in 2023, where she shares intimate insights on , , and purpose, emphasizing that individuals can "create our own meaning" without relying solely on external forces like a . Through the series, she advocates for candid discussions about religion's role in contemporary life, highlighting the need to address how people quietly integrate spiritual principles amid personal and societal challenges, and underscoring values like kindness and decency in such dialogues.

Awards and honors

Early recognitions

In the early stages of her career as an religion correspondent, Rachel Martin received the "Best Radio Feature" award from the Religion News Writers Association in 2007 for her reporting on in , which explored the experiences of Muslim communities in the United States. In 2011, Martin earned a Gracie Award for her series on the experiences of military families during the . That same year, her story on in won a Salute to Excellence Award from the .

Later achievements

During her time as the founding host of NPR's podcast, launched in 2017, Rachel Martin helped establish it as a leading morning news brief, which has been recognized as an award-winning program for its concise delivery of daily headlines. Martin's co-hosting role on from 2016 to 2022 contributed to NPR's repeated successes in the Edward R. Murrow Awards, administered by the Radio Television Digital News Association, which honor excellence in . For instance, NPR secured four such awards in 2021, including for overall excellence in reporting, and six in 2022, recognizing the network's news programming during her tenure. In 2019, Martin received a Gracie Award for her series on the effects of the on children. In 2024, Martin's podcast, which blends interviews with an existential game format, garnered significant acclaim for its fresh take on conversations about life's big questions. It was named one of the 10 best podcasts of the year by and received a nomination for the 2025 iHeartPodcast Awards in the Best Emerging Podcast category, with specific episodes praised for their thoughtful guest interactions. In recognition of her broader contributions to journalism, Martin was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Puget Sound in 2014, where she had earned her undergraduate degree, honoring her work in public radio and international reporting.

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