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 In March, Austin City Council approved the latest update to the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan, which basically determines where Austin will get its energy for the next 10 years. In this guest blog, the Sierra Club runs down the good
Summary Angelica Erazo and a team of volunteers are building a community-based website to help Austinites looking for help during COVID-19 find the resources they need. Action Box Volunteer as a fact-checker or translator for coronavirusaustin.org. “So one thing we know for sure, is that
Summary Kourtney Elaine (Austin Common Visual Designer + Staff Writer) shares her anxiety over changing up her zero waste lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic and wonders what sustainability lessons we can all learn from this crisis. Action Box Help ensure everyone has enough food to
Now, more than ever, it seems pretty important to know what the heck your government is up to. Big decisions are being made every day, right here in Austin, that will affect our lives and livelihood. But how do you attend a Council meeting
Hi Austin, Well, it’s been quite a week. Fear. Hope. Anxiety. Laughter. Stress. Confinement. It’s all there, swirling around in our busy minds. What’s uplifting us and keeping us focused is seeing the overwhelming desire from Austinites to serve our local community.
It’s the question on so many people’s minds right now – how can I help? The good news is, there are lots of ways you can get involved. But we understand all the options can also be pretty overwhelming. So for now, we’re sharing
Virtual meetings get a bad wrap… and for some good reasons. They can feel impersonal. It’s really easy to get distracted. Everyone always seems to be doing something else at the same time. Not everyone knows how to use the technology. The kids are
Summary Every 10 years the US government conducts a census to get an accurate count of everyone living within our borders. This data impacts everything from federal funding for healthcare and schools to how US congressional reps are apportioned. Action Box If there’s one thing
We knew it was coming. But we didn’t understand that within a few weeks the whole world would start shutting down. It’s existential. In Austin we wait for the impact to fully hit, even as we try to adjust to an ever-changing new normal. This
Something big is happening this year. Every single person living inside the United States will be be counted for the 2020 census. Every. Single. Person. “Everybody talks about voting, and voting is extremely, essentially important. The census, I would argue is more so. Because
Sponsored Post – from Texas Disposal Systems The holiday season is a great time to spend with loved ones, celebrate, and eat delicious food. It’s also, however, a time when waste can pile up—think, decorations, food waste, and wrapping paper. Americans produce more trash during
Sponsored Post – from Austin Resource Recovery Many people deep fry turkeys during the holiday season, leaving behind a lot of used cooking oil. But, what do you do with it afterwards? It can actually be dropped off for recycling! The City of Austin’s Recycle
