Maria Mercedes Lara Title: Digital Content Operations Director, PEOPLE Education: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at the New School Maria Mercedes Lara has over 15 years of experience working as an digital editor and journalist, with a focus on entertainment and pop culture news.She joined PEOPLE in 2015 and currently serves as the Digital Content Operations Director. Maria Mercedes was previously the Programming Director and Deputy News Director at PEOPLE.Before joining PEOPLE, Maria Mercedes previously worked at POPSUGAR, SpinMedia Group and Jezebel. Experience Maria Mercedes Lara has over 15 years of experience working in digital news. She joined the PEOPLE team in 2015 and currently serves as the Digital Content Operations Director. In addition to overseeing the digital content operations at PEOPLE, she also oversees the brand's homepage, newsletters and alerts.Before joining PEOPLE, Maria Mercedes worked as a writer and editor for a number of digital brands. She previously worked on staff at POPSUGAR, where she covered celebrity and entertainment news; Wetpaint Entertainment, where she served as an editor focusing on TV news; SpinMedia Group, where she covered celebrity and pop culture news at Celebuzz.com She joined PEOPLE in 2015 and currently serves as the Digital Content Operations Director. Maria Mercedes was previously the Programming Director and Deputy News Director at PEOPLE.Maria Mercedes previously worked at POPSUGAR, SpinMedia Group and Jezebel. Education Maria Mercedes Lara graduated with a B.A. in Literature from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at the New School in New York City. About PEOPLE PEOPLE, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, delivers the most trustworthy celebrity news and captivating human interest stories, connecting you to the pulse of American culture. Since our first issue hit stands in 1974, we have been striving to tell compelling stories about the people behind the issues, as opposed to just the issues themselves. We are your everyday escape, taking you inside the lives of intriguing stars, newsmakers, up-and-comers and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We serve and delight you by providing ideas about beauty, food and style through the lens of the people influencing the trends. And we are a force for good by telling stories of hope, optimism and kindness that drive conversation and inspire action. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.