Report for America
  • About us
    • Our Mission
    • Who We Are
    • News and Press
    • Get Involved
    • Work with Us
    • 2021 Annual Report
    • RFA on 60 Minutes
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Journalists
    • Become a Corps Member
    • Corps Members by Year
    • Advisory Corps Council
    • Our Journalists’ Work
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Service Projects
    • Training and Mentoring
    • Alumni
    • FAQs for Journalists
  • Newsrooms
    • Become a Host Newsroom
    • Newsrooms and Beats by Year
    • 2023-24 Open Newsroom Positions
    • Local Fundraising Support
    • FAQ for Newsrooms
  • Supporters
    • Supporters
    • Journalism Philanthropy
      • Community News Funds
  • GroundTruth
  • Donate
Skip to content
Report for America Report for America
  • About us
    • Our Mission
    • Who We Are
    • News and Press
    • Get Involved
    • Work with Us
    • 2021 Annual Report
    • RFA on 60 Minutes
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Journalists
    • Become a Corps Member
    • Corps Members by Year
    • Advisory Corps Council
    • Our Journalists’ Work
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Service Projects
    • Training and Mentoring
    • Alumni
    • FAQs for Journalists
  • Newsrooms
    • Become a Host Newsroom
    • Newsrooms and Beats by Year
    • 2023-24 Open Newsroom Positions
    • Local Fundraising Support
    • FAQ for Newsrooms
  • Supporters
    • Supporters
    • Journalism Philanthropy
      • Community News Funds
  • GroundTruth
  • Donate

Maria Elena Fernandez

Profile

Maria Elena Fernandez is the Corps Excellence Regional Manager for Region 7 (Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii and Oregon). She is an award-winning journalist and children’s book author who grew up in Miami and has made Los Angeles her home. An entertainment journalist for 15 years, Fernandez has covered Hollywood for New York magazine, Vulture, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, and NBC. Before moving to the West Coast, Maria Elena spent many years on the crime beat at The Washington Post and the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and covered the AIDS epidemic for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Her children’s book, The Secret of Fern Island, was published in 1996 under a pseudonym so that she wouldn’t be stalked by screaming children. She is currently working on a nonfiction book for Grand Central Publishing that will be released in 2023. A longtime member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Maria Elena is a mentor for Mentorship Program and has mentored at Write Girl in Los Angeles. In her spare time, Maria Elena obsesses over her dogs, husband, food, wine, and precious beach time. Her most favorite thing in the world is traveling.

Get great local public service journalism from our Report for America journalists

We’re committed to keeping your information safe. View our privacy policy.

Report for America

In 2017, GroundTruth launched Report for America.

  • Reporters
  • FAQ
  • Newsrooms
  • FAQ
  • Apply
  • About us
  • Get Involved
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Funders
  • Privacy Policy
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Follow Us

Our mission is to restore journalism from the ground up by supporting the next generation through field reporting that serves under-covered corners of the world.

Learn More

Support Us

Your donation will be used to put talented journalists in the field, reporting on underserved communities and important topics.

Donate