Arianna Davis Santana is the Digital Executive Editor at TODAY, where she oversees the brand across TODAY.com, social media, podcasts, newsletters, and more. She also appears regularly on the broadcast as an on-air contributor, breaking down what’s trending across social media and pop culture.
Arianna is also the author of What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly, inspired by the iconic life and legacy of artist Frida Kahlo. Published in 2020, the book received critical praise from outlets including Teen Vogue, which called it a “fresh, sparkling read,” and Esquire, which described it as “luminous.” She is currently working on a novel.
Before joining TODAY, Arianna was Senior Director of Editorial and Strategy at Oprah Daily, (formerly O, The Oprah Magazine). In 2018, she became the founding Digital Director of OprahMag.com, leading what became the fastest-growing site launch in Hearst Magazines’ history.
Earlier in her career, Arianna was a senior features writer at Refinery29, where she covered culture, entertainment and issues affecting Black and Latina women. She began her career at O, The Oprah Magazine before becoming an entertainment editor at Us Weekly.
Throughout her career, Arianna has interviewed cultural figures including Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Karol G, and Will Smith. She has appeared as an on-camera host and entertainment expert for outlets including Access Hollywood, Tamron Hall, VH1 and TLC, and has moderated conversations and panels for Netflix, OWN, Starz, and more. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Glamour, Marie Claire, PopSugar Latina and other publications.
A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in journalism, Arianna also previously served as an adjunct professor in New York University’s Digital & Print Media master’s program, teaching writing and editing for digital.
She lives in New York City, where she can be found working on her novel, making margaritas with her husband, or bingeing The Real Housewives with her dog, Leo.
Follow Arianna on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
Arianna is also the author of What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly, inspired by the iconic life and legacy of artist Frida Kahlo. Published in 2020, the book received critical praise from outlets including Teen Vogue, which called it a “fresh, sparkling read,” and Esquire, which described it as “luminous.” She is currently working on a novel.
Before joining TODAY, Arianna was Senior Director of Editorial and Strategy at Oprah Daily, (formerly O, The Oprah Magazine). In 2018, she became the founding Digital Director of OprahMag.com, leading what became the fastest-growing site launch in Hearst Magazines’ history.
Earlier in her career, Arianna was a senior features writer at Refinery29, where she covered culture, entertainment and issues affecting Black and Latina women. She began her career at O, The Oprah Magazine before becoming an entertainment editor at Us Weekly.
Throughout her career, Arianna has interviewed cultural figures including Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Karol G, and Will Smith. She has appeared as an on-camera host and entertainment expert for outlets including Access Hollywood, Tamron Hall, VH1 and TLC, and has moderated conversations and panels for Netflix, OWN, Starz, and more. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Glamour, Marie Claire, PopSugar Latina and other publications.
A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in journalism, Arianna also previously served as an adjunct professor in New York University’s Digital & Print Media master’s program, teaching writing and editing for digital.
She lives in New York City, where she can be found working on her novel, making margaritas with her husband, or bingeing The Real Housewives with her dog, Leo.
Follow Arianna on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.