
Lisa Fernandez
Lisa Fernandez is an old-fashioned newspaper reporter who works online in a TV station.
Lisa came to KTVU in 2017 and has worked in the Bay Area as a journalist for more than 30 years.
At KTVU, Lisa covers the sexual abuse scandal at the all-women's FCI Dublin prison, where she was chosen by the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California in 2024 as the "Journalist of the Year," the in-custody deaths at Santa Rita Jail, and the federal oversight over the Oakland Police Department. She also covers breaking news, civil rights cases, immigration and education issues and actually loves doing a light feature.
Lisa truly believes that journalism can effect change, by letting the public know more about the world that they live in.
Lisa spent most of her career as a print reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, covering cops, city hall and religion. She's also worked at the LA Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Reuters, NBC Bay Area, and the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, New York, where she is from.
She met her husband in 1995 when they were both young reporters at her first real journalism job: Bay City News in San Francisco.
Lisa loves to teach journalism and she has been an adjunct professor at San Jose State University. She has her master's degree in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University.
In her free time, Lisa volunteers with the Society of Professional Journalists at San Quentin Prison helping incarcerated men hone their writing and reporting skills, and she coaches high school seniors write their college essays.
She is also an exercise instructor, teaching spin, yoga, aqua and body sculpting classes.
Lisa lives in Oakland, Calif., with her husband. She has two adult children.
Have a story tip or idea for Lisa? Contact Lisa at lisa.fernandez@fox.com or (510) 874-0139.
The latest from Lisa Fernandez
Black history month: Celebrating some amazing Bay Area youth
Black history month aims to pay tribute to African Americans, and is a chance to educate the public about championing and cheering on members of the Black community. KTVU is highlighting some amazing Bay Area youth during February, from poets to weightlifters.
Mac Muir, head of Oakland’s police commission's investigative arm, leaving
As Oakland is making budget cuts to departments citywide, Mac Muir, the head of the Oakland Police Commission’s investigative arm, is quitting his job.
BOP questions settlement with FCI Dublin, citing finances, Trump administration, leadership changes
Bureau of Prison lawyers are questioning whether they can enter a two-year legal settlement with women who sued FCI Dublin citing financial concerns, the Trump administration and the change of leadership at the top of the federal prison system.
Trump administration turning these prisons into ICE lockups, leaked memo shows
The Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Prisons signed a contract to turn five federal prisons into ICE detention centers, a leaked memo obtained by KTVU shows.
Oakland police oversight in peril as city faces dire financial situation
As departments across the city of Oakland face dire cutbacks, two police watchdog agencies face extreme budget cuts that supporters say will violate the city charter and also jeopardize the city's ability to ever free itself from court-ordered federal oversight.
ICE officials visit FCI Dublin amid fears it may be used as detention center: union source
Prison union officials are worried that the now-shuttered Federal Correctional Institute at Dublin might be turned into an ICE detention center under the Trump administration.
Hercules mayor finds Taser use on 21-year-old 'troubling and difficult to watch'
The mayor of Hercules on Tuesday said publicly that he found the actions of officers using a stun gun to tase a 21-year-old man suffering an epileptic seizure, shown on body camera video obtained by KTVU, “difficult and troubling to watch."
East Bay man creates anti-Trump 'Grounds for Impeachment' coffee
Jay Maille of Pleasanton is resisting the Trump administration with coffee.
Hercules city council takes up Taser lawsuit with police
The Hercules City Council on Tuesday is going to discuss the case of a young man who was stunned three times with a Taser by police officers, despite them suspecting that he was having a medical seizure, after KTVU published and aired a story showing what the encounter looked like on body camera.
Santa Rita Jail making 'excellent strides' after years of troubles
In 2025, Santa Rita Jail seems to be emerging from a dark shadow, making reforms in the areas of mental health and the number of people dying behind bars.