Episode #5: Maria Hinojosa
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa has spent decades telling the stories too often left out of the national conversation. In this deeply personal and timely episode, Lisette Nieves sits down with the founder of Futuro Media to explore the responsibility of journalism, the courage required to tell difficult truths, and the lasting impact of bearing witness.
Their conversation examines Maria's groundbreaking interview with civil rights icon Dolores Huerta following revelations about César Chávez, the complexities of accountability within social movements, and the importance of creating space for survivors to speak. They also revisit Suave, the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast that chronicles one man's journey from life imprisonment to freedom, and discuss how storytelling can become a force for dignity, justice, and real-world change.
Together, Lisette and Maria reflect on immigration, democracy, Latino leadership, and the role of journalists in moments of political uncertainty. Woven throughout is a conversation about resilience, hope, and what it means to continue fighting for truth even when the work is difficult.
Maria Hinojosa is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, professor, and founder of Futuro Media, the independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to telling stories from communities too often overlooked by mainstream media. For nearly four decades, she has been one of the nation's most influential voices in journalism, reshaping how America understands race, immigration, identity, and social justice.
A four-time Emmy Award winner, Maria is the anchor and executive producer of Latino USA, the longest-running Latino news and culture program in the country, and co-host of the political podcast In The Thick. In 2022, she and Futuro Studios received the Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting for Suave, the groundbreaking podcast that follows one man's journey from life imprisonment to freedom and explores the complexities of incarceration, redemption, and justice.
Throughout her career, Maria has reported for NPR, PBS, CBS, CNN, and NBC, and in 2011 became the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE documentary with Lost in Detention, an investigation that helped bring national attention to conditions inside immigrant detention centers. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruben Salazar Lifetime Achievement Award, the John Chancellor Award, and the National Press Foundation's W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award.
Maria is also the author of four books, including the critically acclaimed Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America. She serves as Distinguished Journalist in Residence at Barnard College, where she mentors the next generation of journalists committed to truth, accountability, and public service.