Adrian Ma
Adrian Ma is co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, a show that helps listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy.
Ma covers a wide variety of topics through the lens of economics, business, labor, and the law. One week, he might explain the rise of AI-generated merchandise or the market for human cells. The next, he may explore the impact of banning affirmative action or the blurry legal line between creativity and theft.
His goal is to help people understand the economic forces that shape their lives. At times, that's meant riding along with gig workers, spending days at a struggling restaurant, combing through data to pinpoint which banks aren't lending in Black neighborhoods, or writing an audio drama about inflation.
Background
Ma reported for public radio stations in Boston, Cleveland, and New York City before joining NPR in 2021. He's currently based in Washington D.C.
In recent years, his work has been recognized with a few honors. In 2019, he received his first National Edward R. Murrow Award for a story about the Chinese government buying out an American softball team. In 2021, he received a Public Media Journalists Association Award for coverage of racial justice protests in Boston. In 2022, he received a second National Edward R. Murrow Award for a feature about what it takes to close a restaurant. In 2023, he was part of a team that received a regional Murrow Award for investigating racial disparities in Boston's home lending market. In 2026, The Indicator won Best Business Podcast at The Ambie Awards.
Ma has a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Contact:
The Indicator's general inbox is indicator@npr.org.
Sign up for the The Indicator Newsletter, sent weekly.
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Finding a job is hard right now, especially for young people starting their careers. NPR's Adrian Ma spoke with college students and an economist about navigating today's tough job market.
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Protesters from the Iranian diaspora in the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. as the war in the Middle East broadens. Many say they are aligned with the U.S. and Israel and explain why they want to see regime change in Tehran.
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U.S. marines have arrived in the Middle East. NPR's Emily Feng has been monitoring the latest developments from the border of Iran and Turkey.
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Thousands of protests took place around the country today, against the Trump administration. We hear from people who came out about why they were there.
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At least 15 U.S. military personnel were wounded in an Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels entered the war with an attack on Israel.
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The war between the US, Israel and Iran is intensifying. NPR's Adrian Ma speaks with Yossi Melman, who reports on Israeli intelligence, about the state of the conflict as it enters its fourth week.
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A Reuters investigative team discovered intriguing details about Banksy's identity after seeing his art pop up in Ukraine.
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NPR's Adrian Ma speaks with Ian Coss, host of GBH's 'Catching the Codfather' podcast, about fishing tycoon Carlos Rafael of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
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The president says he will send ICE agents to airports starting Monday. NPR's Luke Garrett unpacks what we know about the deployment.
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