Maria Hinojosa is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, professor, and the founder of Futuro Media Group. A trailblazer in journalism, she has spent nearly 40 years carving out space in traditionally exclusive newsrooms, amplifying marginalized voices, and shedding light on overlooked stories to offer a more complex and accurate portrait of American society.

Since becoming the first Latina hired at NPR in 1985, Hinojosa has continuously pushed the boundaries of mainstream media, challenging dominant narratives and ensuring that diverse experiences and social injustices are reported with depth and authenticity. Her fearless storytelling has given voice to communities often ignored, redefining the American narrative through independent, multimedia journalism.

As the anchor and executive producer of Latino USA, the Peabody Award-winning radio program distributed by PRX, and co-host of In The Thick, Futuro Media’s acclaimed political podcast, Hinojosa has brought critical conversations about culture and politics to millions. Her work continues to challenge perspectives and elevate voices that have long been silenced. In 2022, she earned the Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting for Suave, a groundbreaking podcast from Futuro Studios and PRX. She is also a regular contributor on MSNBC, offering insightful commentary on pressing national and global issues.

Hinojosa’s career spans major networks, including PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN, and NPR, where she reported on communities and issues often overlooked by mainstream media. She anchored the Emmy Award-winning talk show Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One on WGBH and, in 2011, became the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE report, Lost in Detention, an investigation into immigrant detention centers that sparked national conversation and attention on Capitol Hill.

Her groundbreaking work has earned her numerous prestigious honors, including the Pulitzer Prize, four Emmy Awards, two Robert F. Kennedy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruben Salazar Lifetime Achievement Award, the John Chancellor Award, the Nieman Foundation I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence, and the Studs Terkel Community Media Award. In 2024, she was honored with the W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award from the National Press Foundation. She has also been recognized by People En Español as one of the 25 most powerful Latina women and was honored with her own day in October by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

A dedicated mentor and educator, Hinojosa has helped shape the next generation of journalists through her role as the Distinguished Journalist in Residence at Barnard College, her alma mater, where she has taught since 2019. Her impact has also been recognized with seven honorary degrees, celebrating her contributions to journalism and media. She is the author of four books, including Crews: Gang Members Talk to Maria Hinojosa, Raising Raul, and the critically acclaimed Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America, as well as its young readers’ edition, Once I Was You: Finding My Voice and Passing the Mic.