Fernanda Santos

Olá! Hola! Hello! I’m Fernanda Santos, managing editor at The 19th. I compare my job to that of a maestro: I make sure all parts of the newsroom are in tune and jamming well together to produce meaningful journalism centered around voices and perspectives that for too long have been overlooked.

I’m an immigrant and an American, born and raised in Brazil and made — a journalist, wife, mother and widow — in the United States, a country that has taught me to embrace the many parts of me. That’s the spirit I carry into my work, which has been focused on elevating the stories of underrepresented and misrepresented communities.

I’ve been a staff writer at The New York Times, contributing columnist for The Washington Post, editorial director at Futuro Media and professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I’ve also written a book, “The Fire Line,” about one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, and an Off Broadway musical, “¡Americano!”. I live in New York City with my daughter and our capricious orange cat, Rocky.

My work is free to consume and free to republish because of contributions from readers like you. A donation of $19 goes a long way toward sustaining our nonprofit newsroom.