CNN Pressroom - Roland S. Martin, a nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago-based radio host, will join CNN, it was announced today by Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. Martin will serve as a contributor across several programs effective immediately, and, in the coming months, the network will develop various other programming concepts around him.

“As a multifaceted journalist steeped in the traditions of storytelling and truth-seeking, Roland offers a powerful voice on subjects ranging from politics to religion to race to numerous other social issues,” Klein said. “We’re very pleased to have him contribute to a wide range of CNN stories.”

“CNN has made a sincere commitment to giving its audience a breadth of important stories not typically found in mainstream media,” Martin said. “I am pleased to be a part of that effort and to do my part to see they rise to that challenge.”

A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Martin most recently served as executive editor of the Chicago Defender, the nation’s largest black daily newspaper. He is a commentator for TV One Cable Network and hosts The Roland S. Martin Show on WVON/1690AM in Chicago each weekday. He is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith and Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.

As an analyst, Martin has appeared numerous times on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network and America’s Black Forum.

He is the former founding news editor for Savoy magazine and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, owned by nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner and Radio One.

Martin previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper and worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly. He also has worked for KRLD/1080AM, KKDA-AM in Dallas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Austin American-Statesman.

During his journalism career, Martin has won more than 20 awards, including a regional Edward R. Murrow award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association; several first place awards from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators; two citations from the National Associated Press Managing Editors Conference; the top sports reporting award in 1997 from the National Association of Black Journalists; and honors from the Houston Press Club.

He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and is currently working on a master’s degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; four Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Pipeline, CNN.com’s premium live video news service; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and partnerships for four television networks and two Web sites.