Martina Santia

As the Newhouse School's first postdoctoral scholar, Martina Santia works with Jodi Upton, Knight Chair in Data and Explanatory Journalism, and Lars Willnat, John Ben Snow Professor, on projects that rely on data analytics to shape accountability, particularly with institutions that hold public trust.

Santia’s primary research area is political communication, and she is interested in the effects of racialized news coverage on public attitudes and behaviors. Her work has appeared in Mass Communication & Society, The International Journal of Press/Politics, Perspectives on Politics and Public Opinion Quarterly, among other journals.

Santia’s research has been supported by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). In 2022, her project “Harnessing the power of emotions: How minority women use emotional appeals in their campaign messages” was selected as one the CAWP’s grant recipients for its potential to yield insights on how to increase women’s political power in the U.S.

Santia earned a Ph.D. in media and public affairs from the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University and an M.A. and a B.A. (with honors) from the University of Bridgeport.