Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Today, we are delighted to share the news that The Texas Tribune has taken a critical step in its efforts to help strengthen Austin community news: We’ve acquired the Austin Monitor.
For years, the Monitor has served Austin with in-depth local coverage for interested and engaged residents. This acquisition will allow us to build on the Monitor’s mission to serve a growing city with more expansive needs.
Today’s announcement is just the latest development in our pledge to inform Texas residents more deeply about their communities. The Waco Bridge team, which was hired earlier this year, is already at work engaging their community and hiring reporters ahead of a launch this year.
While we created a new newsroom in Waco, our acquisition of the Monitor shows that we’re willing to think differently based on the needs of each community we seek to serve. Austin’s rapid growth, strong civic engagement and evolving challenges require an adaptive approach to local journalism.
The Monitor’s established reputation for detailed City Hall reporting and policy coverage provides an ideal foundation for expansion. By combining the Monitor’s local expertise with the Tribune’s support services and track record of exceptional journalism, we can create a more comprehensive news source that will create new community engagement opportunities, answer residents’ questions about local issues, use technology to connect people to news, and strengthen partnerships to tackle key challenges. We’re also hiring an editor-in-chief to develop and execute the vision for this expanded mission. If you’re interested in leading this new newsroom, you can apply here.
We’re excited that as we transition to a new local newsroom, the Monitor will continue to serve its audience with news about local issues. During this period, we’ll be seeking community feedback on how we can best expand on that work. Our commitment is to create journalism that directly responds to residents’ needs and fills information gaps.
In the coming months, we’ll be:
- Reaching out for community feedback on information needs
- Identifying how we can help fill gaps in Austin’s news ecosystem
- Seeking strategic partnerships that better serve our communities
- Creating new jobs for this expanded newsroom
This acquisition represents more than just organizational growth — it’s about strengthening the civic fabric of Austin through accessible, in-depth reporting that helps residents navigate local governance, understand policy implications, and engage meaningfully with their communities.
As we embark on this exciting new chapter, we invite Austin residents to participate in shaping the future of their local news. Your insights will be invaluable in creating a newsroom that truly reflects and serves residents’ needs.
Stay tuned for more updates on this transition and expansion. You can follow developments and provide feedback by signing up for the Austin, Monitored newsletter.
First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!