Valeria Fernández is an immigrant from Uruguay and the founder and executive director of Altavoz Lab, which she founded in 2022. She is also a journalist, filmmaker, and producer. She started her career at a small Spanish-language newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona, and quickly learned how to write for immigrant communities — rather than just about them. She transitioned to writing for English-language media, including The Guardian, Pacific Standard, Latino USA, and PRX’s The World. Valeria won the American Mosaic Journalism Prize for her reporting on marginalized communities.
As a former professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Valeria helped develop the next generation of Latino and immigrant journalists. During her time as managing editor of palabra, a publication created by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, she advocated for fair pay and protections for freelance journalists serving disinvested communities. She led several award-winning projects and helped shape the careers of hundreds of independent journalists.
Now, as executive director of Altavoz Lab, she continues to advocate for local reporters — whom she sees as trusted messengers and vital to democracy.
