María (de Lourdes) Hinojosa: 1961—: Journalist

In May of 1997 Hinojosa was hired by CNN to report out of its New York bureau. There, she has covered many stories related to the September 11, 2001, tragedy, especially the impact on New York City families who lost relatives in the World Trade Center disaster. She has also continued to push for more stories with a Hispanic angle, arguing that such topics are far more "mainstream" than some of her bosses and editors believe. It has been a difficult task, as she told Juleyka Lantigua in an interview that appeared in Nieman Reports. "The mainstream media suffers from a profound lack of understanding of how widespread and mainstream the Latino community is in this country," said Hinojosa. "The new census figures make what's happening clear. It's only then that people say, 'Oh my God! We've got to do something. Quick, go out, do some stories.'"

She recalled one report called "Latinos in the Heart-land," in which she interviewed new immigrants who had come to rural northwest Arkansas to work in chicken-processing plants. "I consistently try to bring out my subjects' humanity so that whoever the viewers or listeners are, they can find commonality," she told Lantigua. "I think that's the very first tiny step to understanding who they are, who we all are." Hinojosa continues to use her position at CNN to make the public aware of what it means to be Hispanic in America and worldwide and looks forward to a time when all networks will present balanced newscasts.