She graduated from University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington with a bachelor's degree in politics and government in 1996, and from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York City with a master's degree in international affairs in 2003.

[3][4] Martin was a producer and reporter for KQED in San Francisco.

[6] Martin was one of the hosts of NPR's The Bryant Park Project,[5] a New York-based experimental morning news program designed to attract a younger demographic.

[7] In 2010, Martin was National Security Correspondent for NPR, during which time she reported on the US' counterinsurgency efforts.

[8] She became a co-host of Morning Edition in 2016 when Renée Montagne stepped down.