FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2020 
NAHJ honors Mark Hinojosa, an Associate Professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and previous NAHJ National Board Member
Washington, D.C. – Mark Hinojosa, 63, passed away on February 21st after battling cancer for 8 years. Hinojosa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012. He was an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. He specialized in teaching multimedia storytelling through audio, still photography and video. Previous to joining the University of Missouri, he worked as the Director of Interactive Media for The Detroit News and the Associate Managing Editor for Multimedia for the Chicago Tribune. Hinojosa also served as a national board member for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Online News Association (ONA) and Street-Level Youth Media. Peers and former students of Hinojosa knew and remembered him as a passionate friend who loved journalism and the first amendment. NAHJ will honor Mark during the 2020 Hall of Fame Gala in Washington D.C.
“We are saddened by this loss; Mark was an example of what NAHJ believes in, he was not just a journalist, but an advocate for the next generation of journalists,” said Hugo Balta, NAHJ President. “He served our community and had a great impact on future generations of Latino journalists.
Mark Hinojosa was a Los Angeles native and attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.
Hinojosa was dedicated to journalism and his students. During his career, he was a pioneer in the transition from analog to digital news. He helped newsrooms, journalists and students, to embrace new opportunities, trends, and tools to create deeper connections to readers and communities.
Several students, colleagues, and friends expressed their pain and sadness when they found out about him passing away.
A funeral Mass for Hinojosa was held on Saturday, February, 22 at St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park, Illinois. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mark Hinojosa Fund for Future Journalists or by mailing a check to the Office of Advancement, School of Journalism, 103 Neff Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.
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About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,500 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.
Media Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@VeritasAustin.com