Mark Hinojosa, a journalist, photographer, professor and pioneer in digital media convergence, has died after an 8-year battle with cancer. He was 63.
Hinojosa passed away on February 21. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012, but never stopped living and working in the profession he loved.
He spent more than four decades working in newspapers as a photographer, assistant managing editor and director of interactive media.
But the downsizing of the print journalism industry hit him twice, leading him on a new career path as an associate professor for convergence journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, where he taught what he was passionate about: multimedia storytelling through audio, still photography and video.
Just two days before his death, Hinojosa was selected to receive a Reynolds Faculty Fellowship award.
Prior 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. Early in his career, he was a photographer for New York Newsday.
After his layoff from The Detroit News in 2015, Hinojosa wrote a moving farewell note to his colleagues about his departure, the friends he made during his 7 years there and why he stayed in the newspaper industry. He wrote:
“If I don’t do it, who will? But isn’t that the truth of it? If we don’t do it, who will? Who else will stand for the readers? Who else will stand against wrongs and corruption in this city? I know it sounds corny, but I believe what we do matters in the lives of our readers.”
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), where he served as a board member, says it will honor Hinojosa during its 2020 Hall of Fame Gala in Washington D.C.
The Missourian published a lengthy and thoughtful piece about Hinojosa’s life and his impact on students at the school.