Authorities Cite ‘Apparent Natural Causes’

Homepage photo credit: Facebook

“She was respected and admired throughout the journalism community,” the National Association of Hispanic Journalists said of Diana R. Fuentes. “She mentored and inspired Latino and women journalists for decades, beginning in Texas newsrooms and continuing nationwide.” Here, Fuentes speaks at the Journal-isms Roundtable last November. (Credit: Jeanine R. Cummins)

Authorities Cite ‘Apparent Natural Causes’

Diana R. Fuentes, the beloved executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors, a leader in Texas newsrooms and a champion for diversity, press freedom and investigative reporting, died Friday in Washington after attending conferences related to Sunshine Week, the annual commemoration of the right to access government information. She was 67.

Tom Lynch, deputy director in the Office of Communications of the Metropolitan Police Department, told Journal-isms that “Fifth District officers and DC Fire and EMS responded” to the home of a prominent Hispanic journalist “around 11:15 a.m. Friday. One adult female was located deceased inside of a residence, of apparent natural causes. The decedent was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where a cause and manner of death will be determined.”

The IRE Board of Directors was holding an emergency meeting Sunday “to remember Diana, Dee Dee to friends and family, as well as the immediate next steps and the timeline for IRE’s future.”

Social media filled quickly with tributes and remembrances Saturday as IRE, and later the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and other journalism organizations, spread word of Fuentes’ passing.

“She was such a warm, giving person,” David Cuillier (pictured), director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, told Journal-isms.

“She moderated a panel on FOI journalism Tuesday afternoon and also participated in a special convening Sunday of two dozen FOI experts. We wrapped up Tuesday night.”

Nora Lopez (pictured), executive editor at the San Antonio Express-News and former NAHJ president, wrote on Facebook:

“DeeDee was an amazing woman, journalist and friend. She had a heart of gold and was the nicest person I’ve ever known. She would help anyone who needed help, friends, colleagues and complete strangers, too, like the homeless who walked around the Express-News offices downtown. DeeDee knew them by name. And don’t even get me started on how many animals she rescued and fed. She was the kind of person who carried food and water for any strays she might encounter.

“But her lasting legacy will be the many, many journalists she mentored and edited in her long career as a reporter and later as an editor. She rose into big leadership roles, including editor at the Laredo Morning Times and editor/publisher at the Del Rio News Herald. She helped jumpstart many aspiring journalists’ careers. She was also managing editor at the Beaumont Enterprise and deputy editor at the Express-News, where she retired in 2021. She went on to become the Executive Director of Investigative Reporters & Editors.

“She was very active in a number of journalism organizations, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Texas Managing Editors, the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Society of Professional Journalists-San Antonio Pro Chapter. As part of the SPJ board, she was very active in pulling together the Gridrion program.

“I have in no way done justice in the above post to this amazing colega and friend. She is a legend and will be greatly missed.”

Investigative Reporters & Editors is the nation’s largest organization of journalists, with a membership that regularly hovers around 4,800 to 4,900, sometimes rising to 5,000 and sometimes dipping slightly below 4,800, Fuentes told Journal-isms last year.

The National Association of Black Journalists had 4,259 voting members, according to figures announced at its convention membership meeting last August. It was followed by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, at 3,654, spokesperson Andrew Sherry said at the time. The Society of Professional Journalists had about 3,800 members as of Aug. 31, President Emily Bloch said then.

“We actually have seen an increase in people who are asking for diversity training because they’re not getting it anywhere else,” Fuentes told the Journal-isms Roundtable in November. “And so we’re ready to serve and we do. Our membership, despite all these layoffs . . . decimating newsrooms right and left, has maintained at about 30 percent journalists of color.

“So they still want the training. People are still out there and are maintaining.” Though other events intervened, Fuentes said she looked forward to participating in the “Demand Diversity Roundtable” in January, a pro-diversity strategy session led by the National Urban League.

The Roundtable plans to toast Fuentes’ memory at its session this coming Tuesday..

“I had never met Diana Fuentes before co-chairing the IRE committee that nominated her to be Executive Director,” Mark J. Rochester, until recently executive director of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, wrote on LinkedIn. “But her passion for investigative journalism was clear to all of us on that committee as well as her belief that we could do so much more to bring more women and journalists of color into watchdog journalism. She kept in touch even after I left the board and I never saw any evidence of that passion or commitment waning. This is so tragic!”

Lopez wrote, as did others, “”Her family says they will share services as soon as they are set.”

Brechner News, University of Florida: In memory of Diana Fuentes champion of FOI and journalism 

Zach Davis, Laredo Morning Times: A legend lost: Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes leaves legacy across Texas and beyond 

Texas Public Radio: Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes, influential Texas journalist and mentor, dies

Social Media

Rebecca Aguilar

Gilbert Bailon

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas

San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists

The University of Alabama stopped Nineteen Fifty-Six, named after the year the first Black student, Autherine Lucy Foster, was allowed to enroll at the university. (Credit: Nineteen Fifty-Six)

Updated March 18, March 22

Save the Date: March 24 for Roundtable on Student Journalists of Color (Notices 3-13-26, updated)

March 23: RTDNA Webinar on Reclaiming Your Career
March 23: Where Entertainment Meets Journalism
March 23: Deadline for SPJ Ethics Award Nominations
March 24: Safety Training for Journalists

March 25:A Black View of America @ 250
March 25: Advocating in Tech for Underserved Communities

March 25: In D.C., Remaking Local News
March 26: Progress on African Health Programs
March 26:  Nonprofit Local News: Careers, Pathways, Possibilities

March 27: Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon in D.C.
Reminder for March 28: D.C.’s Journalism Job Fair
April 3: Deadline to Apply for Rosalynn Carter Fellowships
April 9: Webinar on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact on Black Households

From New York: Media Watch

From Zita Arocha: July 2026: Writing Your Life, Writing to Heal

JOBS
From these journalist organizations
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
National Association of Black Journalists
Asian American Journalists Association
Poynter Institute

Society of Professional Journalists
Public Media Jobs.
Online News Association
Rebecca Aguilar’s Journalism Job Openings: The March List” (March 18)

From Washington Association of Black Journalists

From the Uproot Project (March 17)
From Committee to Protect Journalists

Hello, all,

Our next Journal-isms Roundtable, by Zoom, will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. Eastern by Zoom. The subject: Student journalists of color in these times of anti-immigration and anti-DEI actions by federal, state and local authorities.

Also up for discussion: Other aspects of life for this next generation of professional journalists of color.
What problems are they having? Are they receiving enough help? What do the rest of us need to know?

This was published earlier:
Howard Students Are Rethinking Their Future In Journalism:
Black Journalists Are Under Attack, And Howard Students Are Rethinking Their Future In The Industry

And many will recall the case of Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained by the Trump administration for more than a month last year after she wrote an op-ed piece in the student newspaper advocating for Palestinians.

The Miami Herald reported: “The secretary of Miami-Dade County’s Republican Party started a group chat primarily for conservative students last fall — and within three weeks it was filled with racist slurs, someone wrote dozens of ways of violently killing Black people and the chat was renamed after what one member described as ‘Nazi heaven’ ”

Moreover, an observer says bluntly, “The state of Black college media right now is really, really bad.”

Organizations such as the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Student Press Law Center are coming to the aid of affected students, and we hope to benefit from their expertise.

With us will be Kendal Wright (pictured), editor of Nineteen Fifty-Six at the University of Alabama, who with the editor of Alice magazine, which focuses on women’s issues, was informed in December that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi on what the Trump administration considered unlawful discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding, according to one of the editors. The magazine is now being rebooted, no longer under the university’s auspices.

Likewise, Teresa Puente (pictured), who teaches at California State University, Long Beach. She says, “So far, my students haven’t faced any problems (thankfully) but I’m happy to talk about how I train them to cover immigration and other issues facing the Latinx community. We’ve also held Know Your Rights Trainings on campus. And I can talk about the impact of raids on the community at large. But also how we have to cover Latinos beyond immigration since more than 80% of us are U.S. citizens.”

We’re also expecting Nazeefa Ahmed (pictured), a current scholarship recipient from the South Asian Journalists Association who has been reporting both in Canada and the United States.

Also in the room:

• Daarel Burnette, senior editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education

• Shirley Carswell, executive director at Dow Jones News Fund

• Charlayne Hunter-Gault, veteran journalist who with Hamilton Holmes integrated the University of Georgia in 1961

• Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation

Who’s in?

You can RSVP by hitting “reply” to this message or emailing jroundtable5 (at) gmail.com

March 21 update: We will toast the memory of Diana R. Fuentes, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, and a Roundtable regular. (Photo by Sharon Farmer, 2022)

March 23: RTDNA Webinar on Reclaiming Your Career

Upcoming Webinar: Reframe Your Story, Reclaim Your Career

Join RTDNA for an upcoming webinar focused on helping journalists navigate today’s evolving media landscape. “Reframe Your Story, Reclaim Your Career: Translating Skills for Today’s Media Ecosystem” will help media professionals identify how their existing skills translate across new roles and opportunities in the industry. The session will be led by Bridget Thoreson of Hearken and creator of MyCareerRiver.com. Thoreson will guide participants through mapping their career paths, positioning their skills and finding direction in a rapidly changing media environment. The webinar will take place Monday, March 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT. Registration is free for RTDNA members and $25 for nonmembers.

March 23: Deadline for SPJ Ethics Award Nominations

SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR ETHICS IN JOURNALISM AWARD: Strong ethics build strong journalism. Celebrate those who lead by example by submitting a nomination for the Ethics in Journalism Award. The award honors journalists or news organizations that exemplify the highest ethical standards, as outlined in the SPJ Code of Ethics. It also recognizes those who make exceptional efforts to educate the public about ethical journalism or hold journalists accountable for their actions. Last year, The Associated Press received the award for standing firm against White House pressure while continuing to report accurately and ethically on the Trump administration, even after being denied access to presidential events. Nominations are due March 23. Self-nominations are welcome.

March 24: Safety Training for Journalists

March 25: Advocating in Tech for Underserved Communities

Join MMTC, HTTP, LGBT Tech, and OCA – Asian Pacific American on March 25, 2026, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. for “Advocating for Underserved Communities – Tech Policy Briefings” at CTIA, 1400 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Advocates, issue experts, and industry representatives will give their 2026 landscape analysis about AI and data center buildout, spectrum, broadband affordability, and broadcast media.

Speakers

Joi Chaney, Founder, J.O.I. Strategies and Co-Founder of Women’s Tech and Telecom Partnership Danielle (Davis) Canty, Esq., Director of Technology Policy, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Alejandra Montoya-Boyer, Vice President, Center for Civil Rights & Technology, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Alejandro Roark, CEO, A-I Policy Forum Daiquiri Ryan Mercado, Esq., Founder & CEO, exito & co. Click the button below to register for the event. REGISTER About MMTC The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the tech, media, and telecom (TMT) industries, and closing the digital divide on behalf of its members and constituents, including owners of radio and television broadcast stations, programmers, prospective station owners, and others involved in the TMT industries. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation’s leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications. We strongly believe that the breathtaking changes in communications technology and the new global forms of media partnerships must enhance diversity in the 21st century.

Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council | 1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW 7th Floor | Washington, DC 20036 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

March 25: America at 250 – Morgan State University

USC Senior Fellows in Global Health Communication Leadership will present progress reports on their projects, which are going forward in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. The Fellows include a Malawian MP, a Kenyan researcher in HIV and Aging, the editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa, and the OneHealth lead for the Africa CDC. (Credit: USC)

March 26: Progress on African Health Programs

From Adam Powell:

You and all of our Journal-isms friends are invited

If you can join us in Washington DC or online:

You are invited to join us on Thursday, March 26, at 9 am EDT, for a forum with the 2025-26 USC Africa Fellows, in person in Washington DC, their first stop in the US. The Fellows will present progress reports on their projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.

To RSVP to join in person at George Washington University, 1957 E Street NW in Washington DC, please email Judy Kang at junghwak (at) usc.edu

To RSVP for the Zoom link, please go to https://annenberg.usc.edu/events/cclp/africaus-forum-global-health-public-diplomacy-and-international-collaboration-featuring

If you can join us in Los Angeles, we will have two public programs:

Monday 3/30 3-5 pm PDT. Same program as 3/26. Details and RSVP: https://annenberg.usc.edu/events/cclp/meet-2025-2026-usc-african-senior-fellows-global-health-communication-leadership

Tuesday 3/31 1-5 pm PDT. USC Global Health Symposium. Details and RSVP: https://globalhealth.usc.edu/iigh-event/save-the-date-2026-usc-global-health-symposium/

More details on the fellowship program at https://communicationleadership.usc.edu/2025/09/29/university-of-southern-california-welcomes-inaugural-cohort-of-african-senior-fellows-in-global-health-communication-leadership/

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in Washington, Los Angeles and/or on line.

Regards,
Adam

Adam Clayton Powell III
Executive Director, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy
University of Southern California, and
Co-Host, “White House Chronicle” weekly on PBS, SiriusXM and https://whchronicle.com/

email acpowell (at) usc.edu
email apowell (at) alum.mit.edu

March 26:  Nonprofit Local News: Careers, Pathways, Possibilities

Webinar Date & Time

Mar 26, 2026 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Description

Whether you’re a journalism/news media veteran, starting your career, or exploring new options, get an inside look at the nonprofit local news field — how it works, where it’s growing, and the many opportunities that are available.

Register here

March 27: Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon in D.C.

More information here. Please be sure to RSVP.

Reminder for March 28: D.C.’s Journalism Job Fair

From: Society of Professional Journalists — D.C. Chapter

SPJ’s DC chapter is teaming up with seven journalism organizations In the DMV to host its annual job fair. The fair will be at Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus, 111 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Saturday, March 28 from 10 am- 2 pm.

Georgetown University’s Master of Professional Studies in Journalism program is hosting the event. It is being organized in conjunction with the Washington, D.C., chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, NLGJA: Association of LGBTQ Journalists, the Journalism & Women Symposium and the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association.

Recruiters from Axios, Politico, DC News Now, Bloomberg, NPR, States Newsroom,, Fox Television Stations, Report for America, and NBC Universal will be among those prospective employers on hand to meet interested job candidates.

This is a ticket only event. If you are a member of one of the sponsoring journalism groups, such as the SPJ DC chapter, tickets are $10. Otherwise, it is $25.

If you would like to volunteer or are currently jobless, admission is free, but you must contact the SPJ chapter president to get the discount code. Celia Wexler’s email is cvwexler (at) gmail.com

Each chapter has a limited number of free tickets to distribute, so it makes sense to register soon.

Deadline for ticket purchase is March 26.

Book your tickets HERE.  [From Doris Truong, formerly Poynter Institute, former Asian American Journalists Association president, now independent consultant: “Admission is waived for anyone who has been laid off in the past year.”]

April 9: Webinar on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact on Black Households

We invite you to join the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies on Thurs. April 9, 2026, at 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM for the Taxing Consumption and Work: The Cost to Black Households webinar.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) makes major changes to the federal tax code with implications that extend well beyond Washington. As federal revenue shifts and intergovernmental fiscal pressures intensify, states are likely to face renewed budget constraints which often lead to greater reliance on consumption taxes, fees, and other regressive revenue tools.

This cost shift translates into higher everyday expenses, from sales taxes and transportation costs to utility fees and local property tax pressures. Black households are particularly exposed to these shifts due to longstanding disparities in income and wealth and because state and local tax structures rely heavily on taxing work and consumption rather than accumulated wealth. . . . (From Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies)

From New York: Media Watch

Air date: 16 March 2026 Hosts: Robert Anthony, Alan Singer, PhD, and Eric V Tait, Jr:

Subject: 1) Background re the illegal War with Iran

2) Fallout and Blow-back from the Iran War

3) Israeli censorship re Iran War coverage

4) US assault on a Free Press in general and particular individual journalists, now reflected in our dismally low ranking as a nation with a free, unfettered Press.

5) Govt use of “Classified Briefings” for the Congress so they can’t then brief their constituents on the status of the War.

Tag with Rev Jesse Jackson’s Homegoing Service coverage and tRUMPs disrespect for our returning Military slain in the Iran War.

From Zita Arocha: July 2026: Writing Your Life, Writing to Heal

JOBS

From these journalist organizations

• National Association of Hispanic Journalists

• National Association of Black Journalists

• Asian American Journalists Association

• Poynter Institute

• Society of Professional Journalists

• Public Media Jobs.

• Online News Association

Rebecca Aguilar’s Journalism Job Openings: The March List” (March)

From Washington Association of Black Journalists (March 4)

• CityCast DC is hiring a reporter.
• Semafor is seeking a communications and media advisor.
• The Baltimore Banner is expanding into Prince George’s County.
• WETA has several jobs open.
• New Republic is hiring a staff writer.

• Bloomberg Government is seeking a financial reporter from Capitol Hill.

• Applications are open for ProPublica’s Investigative Editor Training Program.
• NPR is hiring senior manager for communications.
• The Council on Foundations is looking for a storytelling consultant.
• American Express is looking for a director of social media.
• Kotaku is hiring a staff reporter.

• Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association scholarship deadline is March 20th.

• TIME is hiring a weekend news desk editor.
• USA TODAY is hiring for several positions.
• WABJ’s Yolanda McCutchen is hiring a marketing consultant.
• The Hill is looking for an editorial intern for the summer.
• The 19th is recruiting for its 2026-2027 cohort – Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship.
• In These Times has opened applications for its internship.
• Forbes is hiring an education reporter.
• Reuters has several editorial jobs open. They’re also looking for a social media editor.
• Apply for the National Press Club Journalism Awards.
• The IRE Conference at the National Harbor is accepting calls for ideas.
• Cheddar is looking to hire a Freelance Multimedia Journalist based in Washington.
• Ars Technica is hiring an arts reporter.
• Washington City Paper is seeking a Loose Lips Reporter and a News Reporter.

From the Uproot Project (March 17)

Job Opportunities

• Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, Assistant Editorial Director
• Nature, Reporter
• The Guardian, Senior Reporter, Climate Justice
• ProPublica, Data Reporter
• NYT, Assistant Editor, Climate
• Mountain State Spotlight, Environment and Energy Reporter
• Sentient, Investigative Reporter, Iowa Reporting Project
• Scientific American, News Intern (deadline March 26)
• Springer Nature, Audience Engagement Intern (deadline March 27)
• Adirondack Explorer, Digital Editor
• VTDigger, Environmental Reporter & UVM Community News Service Mentor
• WIRED, Senior Editor, Science
• The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Assistant Multimedia Editor
• Quanta Magazine, Senior Staff Editor

Fellowships & Grants

• Renews Project, DEI Beat Grant (deadline May 31)
• The 19th, News Fellowship (deadline March 20)
• Fire Newsroom, Greenlight Grants (deadline April 27th)
• Sloan Foundation, YouTube and TikTok program

Other resources

• Spirit Rock, Holding Ground: Inner Resilience for Environmental Changemakers (A Free 5-Month Resilience Intensive for Climate and Justice Leaders)
• NPR, Next Gen Radio
• Calendar for paid internships & fellowships (courtesy of Mandy Hofmockel’s substack for journalism jobs)
• National Press Photographers Foundation, Grants & Scholarships
• Pitching Science Friday
• ProPublica, Freelance Pitch Form

Webinars & events

• Friday, March 27, 1pm-4:30pm | DCEFF CivicEarth – Media Forum
• 10 Steps to Resilience & Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate – Good Grief Network

From Committee to Protect Journalists: