Stories by Joel Gross
Leveraging the diverse strength of our community
Ask any Austinite what the most frustrating thing about living here is, and you likely get a wide gamut of rapid-fire thoughtful, personal and fiery responses. There is no shortage of complex issues that inspire impassioned reactions from us locals.…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Jul 23, 2024
Enduring clarity and pressing forward with you
Running a nonprofit news organization is both hard and easy in this day and age. On the hard side, I’m not exaggerating when I say that the media industry at large is in a transformative period that will ultimately lead…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Apr 15, 2024
Confidently taking our next step forward
The Austin Monitor’s first big step forward came nearly two years ago when we removed our paywall and made our articles and resources free and fully accessible to the entire community. This was a big change for our small but…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Nov 27, 2023
Notley/Monitor Poll: The need for local leadership and deeper understanding
In the second installment of our Notley/Monitor poll series, commissioned by Notley and conducted by national pollster Change Research, Austinites clearly expressed the desire for stronger local leadership and show areas where they are divided and unsure of how to…
Austin • By Joel Gross • Feb 17, 2023
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
It's been a pivotal year
One year ago we removed our paywall and set a new course for our organization. For a small nonprofit news organization, this was a big change. We knew our in-depth and independent reporting would be the throughline and engine for…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Nov 29, 2022
City Summit: Reflections and looking ahead
As we enter November we’re approaching the first anniversary of removing our paywall. Though it feels like a lifetime ago, this was a major, risky and mission-driven decision for our nonprofit organization. In the year that followed, we knew that…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Nov 1, 2022
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New front-page features connect 'Monitor' readers with the issues shaping our city
July was a special month for the Austin Monitor on numerous fronts. Since making the bold and important decision to remove our paywall at the end of the 2021, we’ve reached nearly 150,000 new readers. Though early into our new…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Aug 16, 2022
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites value local news but disagree on quality
Nearly seven in 10 Austinites believe that local news is important to them personally, but only 36 percent rate highly the quality of local news reporting, according to a June survey of 507 likely voters commissioned by Notley and conducted by Change…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Jul 15, 2022
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Our mid-year review: Readership takes a dramatic turn up
Even though our roots go back to the mid-1990s, the Austin Monitor officially launched as a nonprofit in 2013. To some, that may not seem like a long time ago, while to others (myself included) it feels like a different…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Jul 11, 2022
Monitor’s new community-building tool helps foster accountability and trust
Earlier this month, the Austin Monitor proudly participated in Amplify Austin Day. I previously laid out why this day is so special. Today, in addition to thanking our scores of supporters, I want to go deeper on why the follow-through…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Apr 4, 2022
Amplifying the 'Austin Monitor'
Amplify Austin Day began on Wednesday, March 2, this year. This collective effort by our community to support local nonprofit organizations is so aligned with our work, scope and mission it feels like we’re twin planets orbiting the same sun. …
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Mar 3, 2022
Why now is the time to remove our paywall (and how you can help)
The Austin Monitor officially launched as a nonprofit in 2013, but our reporting roots go all the way back to the mid-’90s. We have been producing ongoing and in-depth public service journalism that covers important issues in the community for…
