Our news philosophy is simple. With all of our coverage, we try and do the following:
Keep it local
Keep it brief
Actually explain the news
Give you clear steps for action
Keep it positive
Keep it nonpartisan
You can learn about how we actually do this by clicking on each of our story types below.
As a community-based news source, we’re here to serve you. That’s why we promise:
To follow journalistic principles of accuracy, fact-checking, multiple sources, and dedication to the truth
To immediately fix mistakes if they’re made and to be honest about how they happened
To approach our news coverage from a place of respect, civility, and kindness for our fellow Austinities
To honor the value of lived experiences (especially within marginalized communities) as well as expert testimony/ opinion
To allow for open, two-way communication between our staff and readers, ensuring that our content is relevant and useful to you
Can’t quite decide which type of news post you want to read? You can scroll through all of our latest posts below.
Summary Following the mass shooting in Uvalde that killed 21 people, city and state elected officials have discussed ways to prevent future tragedies and reduce gun deaths in Texas. Action Box Sign up to volunteer with Texas Gun Sense, a nonprofit & nonpartisan organization that
About Austin Water This post is sponsored by our community partner, Austin Water, our city’s publicly-owned water utility. Action Box Click the badge above to look through the latest Water Quality Report for Austin. This post is sponsored by Austin Water. All Austin Common sponsors
About The Author This post is sponsored & written by The Office of Sustainability, the city department that is working toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, a healthy & just local food system, and climate resiliency. Action Box If you have ideas to support a more
Summary Black Lives Veggies is a local organization that addresses food insecurity by providing disenfranchised communities with gardening education & resources. Action Box Become a Black Lives Veggies volunteer by sending an email to blvcapacitybuild@gmail.com Often times, when we talk about issues like food justice,
About The Author This post is sponsored by Ridwell and written by Kelly Shaffer. Ridwell is a local subscription pickup service that makes it easy to waste less. Action Box Click the badge above to sign up for Ridwell (and get one month free!). This
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, we kick off our multi-part series on local climate action. Guests include Laura Jay (C40 Cities), Shane Johnson (Sierra Club), and Luis Miranda (Ground Game Texas and Sunrise El Paso). You can hear this episode
About the City of Austin Public Works Dept. This post is sponsored by our community partner, the City of Austin Public Works Department, which designs, manages, and inspects major capital improvement projects and maintains Austin’s network of trails. Action Box Make Austin a more accessible
We’re back with another election episode! In this week’s episode, Austin Common Radio Hour host Amy Stansbury talks with Julie Oliver (of Ground Game Texas) about Prop A, which if passed, would effectively decriminalize marijuana in Austin and ban no-knock warrants by police. Don’t forget
About the City of Austin Housing & Planning Dept. This post is sponsored by our community partner, the City of Austin Housing & Planning Department, which partners with the community to shape a more equitable Austin and to prevent the displacement of people and services,
About The Author This post is sponsored & written by The Office of Sustainability, the city department that is working toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, a healthy & just local food system, and climate resiliency. Action Box Click the badge above to learn more about
Summary There’s an important election happening in Austin right now related to marijuana and no-knock warrants. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Election Day is May 7th. Hey Austin! Did you know there’s an election happening right now?! Here’s everything you need to know.
About The Author This guest post was written by Janis Bookout, Executive Director of Earth Day Austin & one of the organizers of Community Resilience Trust, a grassroots coalition that came together in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of making Austin a
