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 from this day of giving is vital to our organization and mission. To lead off, […]
Mission Note
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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. We hope you will participate in Amplify Austin and that you will consider amplifying our […]
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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 nearly 30 years. Since our official launch over eight years ago, we’ve seen two significant […]
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Enhancing your news experience: A first step
We know there are a lot of information and media sources that compete for your time. It seems like this number grows exponentially every year, and with the move to everything digital, we know it is important to factor in the experience of reading the news along with the quality of the news itself. Our […]
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Introducing the Austin Monitor’s strategic advisory council of guides
Few industries are as American as the press. Revered by the Founding Fathers as “one of the great bulwarks of liberty,” the role of the free press is literally written into the First Amendment, and its impact has proven invaluable time and time again. At the same time, the vast majority of news outlets operate […]
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Local news is a two-way street
I often describe the Austin Monitor as a news source that exists at the intersection of local government and community. One of the many reasons we believe this space is so important is because of the tremendous influence each side has on the other. The community shapes local government and local government shapes the community. […]
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Our decisions shape the community
I previously described elections as a “high-stakes civic intersection between information and action” – in other words, right in the Austin Monitor’s wheelhouse. When it comes to turnout, this recent special election had numerous factors stacked against it: mid-year (not November), off-year (not coinciding with a major federal election) and non-presidential (not voting for presidential […]
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Our journey ahead
Everyone who has ever found themselves fighting the good fight for a nonprofit has a personal story about how they got there. I love hearing these stories, and while the details are always unique, they all follow the same humanizing arc: The storyteller cared about something so much that they had to get involved. My […]
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Publisher’s Note: Kelsey joins Capital of Texas Media Foundation
When we sketched out plans for a new Austin-focused think tank, we envisioned an organization that could dive deep into the metro area’s many challenges and opportunities. But we also realized we would have to put our own community’s issues in the context of what’s happening elsewhere, in cities around the state and country. The […]
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Publisher’s Note: A new chapter
A thriving and vibrant community requires a robust independent press, an engaged citizenry, and the evidence policymakers and citizens need to make informed decisions. Since its inception almost six years ago, the Capital of Texas Media Foundation has sought to bring greater depth to the policy discussions that shape the lives of Austin residents. Today, […]
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Publisher’s note: Changing of the guard
Hi y’all! My time as interim publisher here at the Monitor is coming to a close. In my previous roles, I have always found such value in the coverage that this publication provides and I am grateful that I had a chance to contribute to this organization. A big thank you to all the writers […]
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Publisher’s Note – Penny Pass
As you know, we operate on a subscription service. That is how we are able to pay our awesome reporters and bring you all the great coverage that we do. (To make it simple, the more subscriptions we have, the more coverage we are able to bring you.) In March, we launched a test with Penny Pass – […]