Christine Fernando is NIFI’s Communications & Creative Coordinator. She was previously a national democracy reporter for the Associated Press, where she covered threats to democracy, political misinformation, state supreme courts, and reproductive rights, reporting from federal courts, statehouses, protests cloaked in tear gas, and within communities. Before joining the AP, she was a national reporter for USA TODAY, covering breaking news, racial equity, and reproductive rights. She attended Indiana University, where she majored in journalism, sociology, and psychology with a certificate in neuroscience and a minor in comparative arts. She’s spent years capturing the lived experiences of Americans far from Washington and translating complex, fast-moving legal, legislative and political developments into clear, accessible stories for broad audiences.