Mercedes Gallego facts for kids

Mercedes Gallego (born July 4, 1970) is a Spanish journalist and author. She is known for reporting on international news, especially wars and natural disasters. Since 1994, she has worked as a foreign correspondent for many Spanish newspapers.

In 2003, she was the only Spanish female journalist to report on the invasion of Iraq. She was an embedded journalist, meaning she traveled with the US troops. Her experiences as a reporter in Iraq were shared in her book Más allá de la batalla: una corresponsal de guerra en Irak (Beyond the Battle: A War Correspondent in Iraq). This book talked about the challenges she saw within the military.

She also helped create a documentary called ... in the Ranks: the Enemy Within in 2009. Today, she is the US Bureau Chief for Vocento Media Group. She also often appears on Channel NY1 Noticias as a political expert on the show “Pura Política”.

Early Life and Education

Mercedes Gallego was born in Sabadell (Barcelona), Spain. She grew up in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Spain. In 1994, she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism. She studied at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Her Career as a Journalist

Gallego started her journalism career in Madrid. She wrote for music magazines and worked at local radio stations. In 1991, she first worked in the US. She was a reporter for Tiempo Latino, a Spanish-language newspaper in San Francisco, California.

After finishing her degree, she moved to Mexico. There, she worked for several Mexican and Spanish TV channels and newspapers. These included Canal 22, Telecinco, Reforma, El País, and El Correo. She arrived in Mexico in 1994. This was a busy year with the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas. There were also political murders and a big economic crisis called the Tequila Crisis.

From 1994 to 1999, she reported on many important events. She covered conflicts in Guatemala and political changes in Nicaragua. She also reported on the damage from hurricane Mitch in Honduras. She even covered Che Guevara's funeral in Cuba.

Reporting from New York

During the Kosovo bombing in 1999, Gallego moved to New York City. She became the US Bureau Chief for Vocento Media Group. From New York, she reported on many major events.

She witnessed the September 11 attacks in 2001. She also covered the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Other events included Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She also reported on Hurricane Sandy in 2012. She has covered every US election since 2000.

Being an Embedded Journalist

Gallego reported on the 2003 invasion of Iraq as an embedded journalist. This meant she traveled with the US First Marine Division. She was one of only five international journalists with this group. The others were from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR radio.

Her book, Más allá de la batalla: una corresponsal de guerra en Irak, came from this experience. She dedicated it to her friend and fellow journalist, Julio Anguita Parrado, who passed away. Her story was also in the book Embedded by Bill Katovsky and Timothy Carlson (2004).

For her work, she has received several awards. These include prizes from Intereconomía Radio and El País. She also got a special mention from the Miguel Gil Foundation. She co-directed a 30-minute film called ... in the Ranks: the Enemy Within. This film won the Bronze Remi Award in 2009. In 2010, it won Best Investigative Documentary in New York.

Lectures and Appearances

Mercedes Gallego has given many talks at universities in Spain and the US. She has also discussed her work with actor Tim Robbins in New York City. She is often asked to share her thoughts on US politics on TV shows. She has been interviewed by many news outlets. These include NBC Telemundo, Telemadrid, Telecinco, Antena 3, CNN+, and ABC.

Currently, she works in New York as the US Bureau Chief for Vocento Media Group. This group has 13 newspapers that reach over 5 million readers in Spain. She is also a regular guest on Channel NY1 Noticias. She provides political commentary on the show Pura Política.

Awards and Recognition

Mercedes Gallego has received many important awards for her journalism.

• In 2003, she was named Best Journalist of the Year by Intereconomía Radio.
• She also shared a special Ortega y Gasset Award from El País with other journalists who covered the Iraq War.
• In 2004, she received the Pluma de la Paz ("Pen of Peace") award. This was given by the Messengers of Peace Association.
• In 2007, she received a Special Mention from the Jury of the VI Miguel Gil Journalism Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Mercedes Gallego para niños