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Maria Hinojosa

Maria Hinojosa is CNN's urban affairs correspondent. Based in the network's New York bureau, Hinojosa joined CNN in 1997.

Hinojosa has covered numerous stories and events for the network, including the Amadou Diallo case verdict and the struggle of Kosovar Albanians in the United States . In 2001, Hinojosa reported a week-long CNN/TIME magazine series The New Frontier/La Nueva Frontera, which observed the state of the U.S.-Mexican border in a post-NAFTA era. She also penned a column for TIME magazine, Living La Vida Latina, in which she addressed Mexico/U.S. border issues and her life as a Mexican-American. Hinojosa is the first Mexican-American to write a column for TIME magazine.

In February 2003, Hinojosa was part of the team of CNN correspondents and anchors that covered the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Additionally, hours after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan , Hinojosa reported from the streets of New York City with updates on the search-and-rescue mission that included one-on-one interviews with relatives and friends of those who are missing. Hinojosa has continued to report on the families of the victims, sharing her insight in a series of reports called Up Close.

Previously, Hinojosa spent six years at National Public Radio as a New York City based general assignment correspondent. During this time she also hosted Visiones, a public-affairs talk show on WNBC-TV in New York . Hinojosa continues her affiliation with NPR, anchoring Latino USA , a weekly national program reporting on news and culture in the Latino community.

In 1991 Hinojosa worked for WNYC-TV as the host of New York Hotline, a live, primetime call-in public-affairs show. In 1990 she worked for WNYC Radio as a general assignment correspondent. From 1988-1989 Hinojosa served as a producer and researcher for CBS This Morning and, in 1987, she worked for CBS radio as a producer. Among the shows she produced for CBS Radio were Where We Stand with Walter Cronkite, The Osgood File and Newsbreak.

Hinojosa has garnered numerous awards and honors, including the 2002 Latino Heritage Award from Columbia University and the Ruben Salazar Award from the National Council of La Raza, which recognizes a journalist's outstanding body of work. In 1999, Working Mother magazine named her one of the 25 Most Influential Working Mothers in America and in 1995, Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the United States . Other awards include an Associated Press Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Award, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Radio Award, the New York Society of Professional Journalists Deadline Award, the Unity Award and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Top Story of the Year Award. She has also been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards.

Hinojosa has written two books, the critically acclaimed memoir Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son and a book that grew from an award-winning story about gang members, Crews-Gang Members Talk with Maria Hinojosa. Born in Mexico City , Hinojosa earned a bachelor of arts in Latin American studies, political economy and women's studies Barnard College , graduating magna cum laude.