Austin Monitor and Texas Tribune Partnership FAQ

The Austin Monitor has joined the Texas Tribune in a strategic acquisition designed to expand local news coverage in Austin. This partnership will combine the Monitor’s deep roots in Austin reporting with the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and infrastructure. Together, we’ll build a new, rebranded local newsroom that reaches more people, engages more deeply, and better informs you and your neighbors about the forces shaping our city. Do you have a question that isn’t answered here? Please contact memberships@austinmonitor.com and we’ll do our best to get back with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly happened – was the Austin Monitor sold?
A: The Texas Tribune has acquired the Austin Monitor’s assets and resources and is now powering the work of the Austin Monitor. Nonprofit organizations like the Austin Monitor and Texas Tribune are guided by a public-service mission rather than shareholder profits. This acquisition was based on editorial alignment and a shared future vision for serving the community. The two organizations will now work together to build a stronger, more expansive local newsroom that is built upon the Austin Monitor’s foundational local coverage and community-focused mission. As integration and development of a new newsroom moves forward, the Austin Monitor will continue delivering our daily local coverage and serving the community. Your readership and support of our work is just as important and valued now as it was yesterday. The Monitor’s nonprofit entity will still remain active in this period of integration and our reporting will not stop.

Q: Does this mean the Austin Monitor is shutting down?
A: No, not at all. The Monitor’s daily reporting will continue uninterrupted in this period, and our mission remains the same. Over time, the brand will evolve as we integrate into a new and more expansive local newsroom under the Texas Tribune umbrella. The coverage and spirit of the Monitor will live on and grow stronger through this partnership.

Q: Will the type of coverage change?
A: Our core coverage will remain central to the reporting and focus of the new newsroom. This partnership will build on the Austin Monitor’s deep roots and create a more comprehensive news source that will answer residents’ questions about local issues, use technology to connect people to news and strengthen partnerships to tackle key challenges.

Q: Why did the Monitor do this?
A: Running a local newsroom sustainably is incredibly difficult, even for successful organizations like ours. Both Austin and the news industry are changing rapidly and part of our mission is to do everything we can to effectively serve the community. This partnership allows us to scale our impact, leverage top-notch operational support and grow our newsroom in ways we simply couldn’t do alone. It’s a move toward greater long-term sustainability and enhanced service to our Austin community at a time when access to high-quality local news is crucial.

Q: What will the new local newsroom be called?
A: A new name that reflects the vision of our joint efforts is coming soon. Until then, you’ll continue to see the Austin Monitor name on our website and reporting.

Q: What’s the Texas Tribune’s role?
A: During this integration period, the Tribune will provide behind-the-scenes support – fundraising, marketing, HR, legal, tech – while working alongside the Monitor team to expand editorial capacity and deepen community connections. The new local newsroom will be fully owned and operated by the Texas Tribune.

Q: Will this new newsroom still be nonprofit and independent?
A: Yes. Both the Texas Tribune and the Austin Monitor are nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations, and that will be the case for the new newsroom that will be owned and operated by the Texas Tribune nonprofit organization. Editorial independence, transparency and public-service journalism are foundational values for both teams.

Q: Can I continue to donate to the Austin Monitor?
A: Yes, yes, yes. As we are building the new newsroom, The Monitor’s daily reporting will continue uninterrupted in this period. Individual reader donations are essential to sustaining our local reporting and service to the community. When we launch the new newsroom, we will share more about how to donate, get involved and support the local journalism that matters to you. If you have any questions about your current donation status or would like to learn more about supporting our new newsroom, you can email us at memberships@austinmonitor.com

Q: What else will occur during this integration period before the new newsroom is launched?
A: In the coming months, we’ll be:
-Reaching out for community feedback
-Identifying how we can help fill gaps in Austin’s news ecosystem
-Seeking strategic partnerships that better serve our communities
-Preparing the internal systems and infrastructure necessary to support a top-tier local newsroom
-Creating new jobs for this expanded newsroom

Q: How can I share my feedback or ideas?
A: As the new local newsroom takes shape, community feedback is crucial. We will offer a number of feedback opportunities in the coming weeks to hear how we can best serve Austin’s information needs. If you haven’t already, we’d recommend subscribing to the Austin, Monitored newsletter to keep up with the latest on this partnership and local news coverage.