03/21/2026
Texas journalism — and the national investigative journalism community — has lost a giant. Diana Fuentes was a trailblazer whose influence reached from the newsrooms of San Antonio, Del Rio, Beaumont and Laredo to the highest levels of our craft as the Executive Director of Investigative Reporters and Editors and a former president of Texas Managing Editors, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Texas Press Association and San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists.
DiDi was a model and mentor for so many of us. Whether she was fighting for open records, coaching a young reporter, or leading a national journalism organization dedicated to accountability, she did so with a rare combination of tenacity, grace, and unwavering integrity. She taught us that the story matters, but the people behind the stories matter more.
She was a glass-ceiling breaker who never forgot to reach back and pull others up with her. Her legacy lives on in every journalist she mentored and every investigative project she championed. Our thoughts are with her family and the global community of reporters who called her their leader, their teacher and their friend.
Rest in peace, DiDi. Thank you for clearing the path for the rest of us. 🕊️
