John Quinones was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, just eighty miles from Uvalde. He is the creator and host of What Would You Do?, one of the highest-rated newsmagazine franchises in recent years. During his forty-year tenure as an ABC News correspondent, he has reported extensively for all programs and platforms and has also served as anchor for ""20/20 Downtown"" and ""PrimeTime Live."" Among his hundreds of awards, he has been honored with seven national Emmys, the first of which he garnered for swimming across the Rio Grande, undercover, for a story on undocumented migrants. Quinones is the proud father of three children-Andrea, Julian, and Nicco, all of whom work in media. Maria Elena Salinas is an American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author who joined ABC News as a contributor and consultant in 2022. Called the ""Voice of Hispanic America"" by The New York Times, Salinas is one of the most recognized Hispanic female journalists in the United States. For nearly four decades Salinas served as co-anchor of the evening nightly newscast in Spanish language network Univision. Salinas is a founding member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and for over two decades has provided dozens of students with a scholarship under her name. She also serves on the board of Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Salinas is mother to two daughters, Julia and Gabriela.
“This touching and beautiful book shines a light on a community in crisis while also showcasing their resiliency. As a mom and a native of Texas, I was moved by the sensitive reporting of John Quiñones, María Elena Salinas, and their team.” —Eva Longoria, award-winning actress and film director “Two of the best journalists in the country, and the ABC News Investigative Unit, tackle one of the most important events of our generation. It’s superb reporting with respect, precision, and a heart. . . . They stayed in Uvalde and it shows. This is necessary reading if you want to know who we are as a nation.” —Jorge Ramos, anchor, Univision News “A bold idea born out of tragedy. One Year in Uvalde shows us what journalism can achieve when journalists look like the people they cover and commit to staying to tell the stories that need to be told. John Quiñones, María Elena Salinas, and the entire team artfully give voice to a community, honor the lives lost, and hold authorities accountable, resulting in a powerful, damning, heartbreaking, and inspiring documentation of history.” —Cecilia Vega, Correspondent, 60 Minutes “What happened in Uvalde didn’t just change that small town. It changed our country. I understand why María Elena and John needed to be there, to be present and to write this powerful book. There are deep and profound lessons about what happened in Uvalde. Now more than ever we need journalists to be telling this story, and to not turn away.” —Maria Hinojosa, Pulitzer prize winner and president, Futuro Investigates