Nina Martin
Nina Martin was a reporter covering sex and gender issues. She joined ProPublica in 2013 and is based in Berkeley, California.
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Nina Martin was ProPublica’s sex and gender reporter, with a special interest in women's health and racial equity. Her "Lost Mothers" project with NPR, examining maternal mortality in the U.S., led to sweeping change to maternal health policy at the state and federal levels; it also won numerous awards, including the 2018 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, a Keck Futures Initiative award from the National Academies of Science, George Polk and George Foster Peabody awards, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.
Martin’s other work at ProPublica focused on the criminalization of drug use in pregnancy, the role of religion in health care, and racial and gender disparities in COVID-19 deaths.
Previously, she was the articles editor and executive editor at San Francisco magazine and held staff positions at the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, and Health and BabyCenter magazines. Martin has a B.A. in public policy from Princeton and an MSJ from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
The Last Person You’d Expect to Die in Childbirth
The death of Lauren Bloomstein, a neonatal nurse, in the hospital where she worked illustrates a profound disparity: the health care system focuses on babies but often ignores their mothers.
A Spike in Rates of Pregnancy-related Deaths in Texas Spurs Soul-searching
Two new reports show maternal deaths and severe complications rose as the state slashed funding for family planning, but researchers and state officials say more information is needed to understand the trend.
Behind the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision, More Than a Decade of Privately Funded Research
Research funded by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and others not only helped spur the nation’s top court to strike down key parts of a Texas abortion law, but also has fueled a string of other changes making abortion more accessible.
Game Changer: The Best Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision
After the court hands a sweeping victory to abortion rights advocates, there was a torrent of analysis on what it means and what comes next.
In Texas Decision, Supreme Court Delivers Sweeping Win for Abortion Rights
The ruling is expected to have a monumental ripple effect, invalidating strict clinic laws in about half the states.
Alabama Mom’s Charges Are Dropped, But Only After an Arduous Battle
It took 16 months and thousands of dollars, but prosecutors have dismissed the case against Katie Darovitz, one of hundreds of women charged under Alabama’s harsh chemical endangerment law.
Most Drugs Aren't Tested on Pregnant Women. This Anti-nausea Cure Shows Why That's a Problem
For years, Zofran was the most popular morning-sickness medication in the U.S. Now it’s being accused of causing birth defects. The larger issue is a drug-safety system that excludes women from clinical trials, potentially putting them and their babies at risk.
Alabama Lawmakers Limit Drug Prosecutions in Pregnancy
Authorities could no longer charge a pregnant woman with child endangerment for taking a drug prescribed by her doctor.
Why North Carolina’s New Anti-LGBT Law is a Trojan Horse
It’s not just bathrooms. Lawmakers also took away the right to sue under state law for all kinds of employment discrimination.