austonia newsletter
Get connected with our daily update
Most viewed
(Shutterstock)
Austin-based dating and networking app Bumble, which was founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, is reportedly considering an IPO.
Bumble, the Austin-based dating and networking app, is reportedly considering a multi-billion-dollar initial public offering that could come early next year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-01/dating-app-bumble-is-said-to-prepare-for-6-billion-plus-ipo" target="_blank"></a> </p><p>The company has not finalized anything and the timeline could change, according to the story's unnamed sources "familiar with the matter."</p><p>From the report: </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>"Bumble could seek a valuation of $6 billion to $8 billion, said one of the people, asking not to be named because the matter is private. While it is talking to banks, it hasn't settled on a lineup, the people added."</em></p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-01/dating-app-bumble-is-said-to-prepare-for-6-billion-plus-ipo" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Bumble was founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, who previously co-founded the popular hook-up app <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/0967908D:US" target="_blank" title="Company Overview">Tinder</a>.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Austin business owners greet pandemic with investment - austonia ›
- How pizza and a park led to a pandemic first date - austonia ›
- Pandemic dating: An exercise in empathy for Austin singles - austonia ›
- Pandemic dating is no walk in the park, Austin residents say - austonia ›
- Austin-based BigCommerce debuts on Nasdaq - austonia ›
- Austin-based BigCommerce debuts on Nasdaq - austonia ›
- 4. Personality of the city - austonia ›
- Five reasons why Elon Musk and Grimes should choose Austin ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
Harris, Markle headline blockbuster final day of Austin-based The 19th* Represents virtual summit
14 August
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (photo U.S. Senate), Meghan Markle (The 19th*)
Two powerhouse women are set to headline the last day of the star-studded The 19th* Represents virtual summit, which wraps up Friday with recent Democratic VP nominee-to-be U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
<p>The interview is Harris' first one-on-one with a reporter since she was added to the Democratic ticket on Tuesday - a decision she said was "on purpose."</p><p>The Austin-based news organization at the helm of the summit, The 19th*, launched last week as a newsroom dedicated to news that affects women. Run by women and reported by women, the organization is led by local media trailblazer Emily Ramshaw, former editor of the Texas Tribune. </p><p>In a twist on the usual celebrity chat session, <a href="https://austonia.com/influencers/meghan-markle-closes-out-the-19th-summit" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">Markle will interview Ramshaw</a> about - to put it in superhero terms - the origin story of The 19th*. </p><p>Both the launch and the summit, which has seen such influencers as Meryl Streep and Hillary Clinton take the virtual stage, were timed in conjunction with the hundredth anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the U.S. The asterisk indicates that there is more work to do to achieve equal representation.</p><p>Harris is scheduled as the keynote speaker on Friday - and was on the program long before she became presumptive nominee Joe Biden's VP pick earlier this week. Her keynote address today on the intersection of race and gender - both of which, along with her qualifications, were at play when Biden named her as his running mate. </p>
From Your Site Articles
- From Streep to Clinton to the Duchess: Austin's The 19th* brings star ... ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th ... ›
- Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, to The 19th: “It’s good to be home.” - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
(The 19th)
Speakers at The 19th*'s virtual summit include Kamala Harris, Meryl Streep, Meghan Markle, Zoe Saldaña, Hillary Clinton and Sunny Hostin.
A stellar line-up of trailblazing women from all corners of modern life take the virtual stage Monday at The 19th* Represents, the new Austin-based newsroom's inaugural weeklong virtual summit on the women and ideas shaping today's American experience.
The week will include performances by Academy Award actors Meryl Streep and Zoe Saldaña; The Go-Gos; Madame Gandhi; women composers of the New York Philharmonic; and Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, poet, scholar and president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
<p>Keynote speakers and panelists will include The Duchess of Sussex <a href="https://austonia.com/influencers/meghan-markle-closes-out-the-19th-summit" target="_self">Meghan Markle</a>; Hillary Clinton; U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris; Melinda Gates; U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard; voting rights activist Stacey Abrams; Alicia Garza, co-creator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network; and former New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.</p><p>The 19th*—a national gender and politics nonprofit organization that officially launched last week to bring news affecting women and the ideas they represent to the mainstream—is hosting the summit this week to commemorate the anniversary of suffrage. The asterisk in the organization's name acknowledges that the job of the 19th Amendment, which legalized the woman's vote, is not over.</p><p>Themes for the rest of the week's event include messages from trailblazing women, suffrage, the next female president, race and gender, and what's at stake in the fight for gender equity. </p><p>Today's event, "Breaking Ground," starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m., with guests who paved the way for other women, speaking virtually with moderators from The 19th*. </p><p>Kicking off the first day is <a href="https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/about" target="_blank">U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto</a> of Nevada, who made history by becoming the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina elected to the U. S. Senate. The second keynote speaker is U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. <br/> </p><p>The first day includes a performance from The Go-Go's, and a panel discussion, "The Firsts: Women in politics who blazed their own trail." The panel includes former New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Virginia Del. Danica Roem, U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.</p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p>Register and view the full-week's schedule <a href="https://summit.19thnews.org/schedule" target="_blank">here</a>.<br/></p>
From Your Site Articles
- Austin-based female influencers to follow on Instagram - austonia ›
- Influencers - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th ... ›
- Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle headline blockbuster final day of Austin-based The 19th* Represents virtual summit - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, to The 19th: “It’s good to be home.” - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
(The 19th*)
CEO of The 19th* Emily Ramshaw (left) will be interviewed by the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle (right) next week.
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle is taking her turn at being the interviewer, putting Austinite Emily Ramshaw—a longtime local journalism trailblazer and co-founder and CEO of The 19th* news organization—in the hot seat at the organization's virtual summit event next week.
<p>"She asked if she could interview me on 'storytelling that lifts up those who are too often underrepresented in the media,' and 'what it means to build a media outlet with gender equity, diversity and community at its core,'" Ramshaw wrote on Twitter on Thursday.</p><p><br/></p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="316fd074948110ce8e4d6b9da4ed2554" id="d0a31"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291373727331082240"><div style="margin:1em 0">She asked if she could interview me on “storytelling that lifts up those who are too often underrepresented in the… https://t.co/GaDLEw8DyR</div> — Emily Ramshaw (@Emily Ramshaw)<a href="https://twitter.com/eramshaw/statuses/1291373727331082240">1596722463.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br/></p><p><span></span>The interview closes out the 19th* Represents 2020, a week filled with events commemorating the suffrage centennial, on Friday, August 14. The summit includes conversations with prominent women in politics, civic engagement, journalism and the arts. The <a href="https://summit.19thnews.org/speakers" target="_blank">lineup of speakers</a> includes Kamala Harris, Melinda Gates, Hillary Clinton, Stacey Abrams and Meryl Streep, to name a few.</p><p>The 19th*, a new nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom focused on <a href="https://19thnews.org/2020/08/americas-first-female-recession/" target="_blank">gender and politics</a>, launched its <a href="https://19thnews.org/" target="_blank">news site</a> this week. The organization is named after the 19th amendment, in which women were given the right to vote—but the asterisk stands for the "unfinished business" of the amendment, as voter suppression is still happening today. </p><p>Ramshaw is also former editor-in-chief at the <a href="http://texastribune.org" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a>, another groundbreaking nonprofit journalism organization based in Austin.</p><p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/meghan-markle-the-19th-represents-summit-interview-emily-ramshaw" target="_blank">Glamour Magazine</a>, Ramshaw described what it was like to keep Markle's booking a secret over her young daughter's desperate desire to spread the news: </p><p><em>"Just as Ramshaw was gearing up for the site's debut, she and her husband made the decision to send their daughter back to daycare "because we couldn't get across the finish line with her at home," Ramshaw says. "So she walks straight in, bursts into the room, and declares, 'My mommy is going to talk to a princess!' Thank god no one believed her."</em></p>
From Your Site Articles
- The Athletic lays off Longhorns writer Kaelen Jones - austonia ›
- NPR's KUT/ KUTX ask for furloughs due to budget shortfall - austonia ›
- From Streep to Clinton to the Duchess: Austin's The 19th* brings star power to virtual summit starting today - austonia ›
- Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle headline blockbuster final day of Austin-based The 19th* Represents virtual summit - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, to The 19th: “It’s good to be home.” - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
KUT/KUTX asking for voluntary furloughs, early retirement to stave off $1M shortfall next year
16 July
Both KUT/90.5FM—Austin's NPR affiliate—and sister station KUTX/98.9FM are asking staff to consider early retirement and voluntary furloughs to make up for a projected $1 million shortfall in its budget next fiscal year, KUT Projects Editor Matt Largey tweeted early Thursday.
<div id="52c6c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="696e5cbc10e496ab087bf1d943a70086"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1283801324094619652" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@mattlargey @KUT This is devastating. Sorry to hear this, Matt.</div> — Dr. Lisa B. Thompson (@Dr. Lisa B. Thompson)<a href="https://twitter.com/DrLisaBThompson/statuses/1283801324094619652">1594917062.0</a></blockquote></div><p>No official announcement has been made by leadership at KUT/KUTX, which is housed on the University of Texas at Austin campus and recently completed a membership and donation drive. The request came through email, staffers said, and includes a 25% pay incentive for eligible staffers who take early retirement before Sept. 30.</p><p>"The recession has come to @KUT," veteran station reporter Mose Buchele tweeted. "This is hard."</p>
<div id="c89cd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d49019b2a8f547c66b44f537b78c26b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1283810484412649480" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The recession has come to @KUT. Staff is being asked to consider voluntary furloughs and early retirement to make u… https://t.co/1xIpCpbXNH</div> — Mose Buchele (@Mose Buchele)<a href="https://twitter.com/MoseBuchele/statuses/1283810484412649480">1594919246.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The request is an apparent attempt to avoid the more extreme cuts that have plagued media organizations in Austin, <a href="https://austonia.com/media/7-statesman-newsroom-staffers-laid-off" target="_self">most deeply at the Austin American-Statesman,</a> which temporarily furloughed its entire staff on a rotating basis in the early weeks of the pandemic, and more recently laid off seven longtime staffers.</p><p>Reactions on social media were swift and supportive, with listeners suggesting that KUT hold an emergency fundraising drive and praising the work the staff has done. </p><p>"I feel this community would rally behind an emergency pledge drive in record numbers. Just sayin. We all appreciate the work you guys do day in day out,"<a href="https://twitter.com/hautaIa/status/1283817053217005569?s=20" target="_blank"> tweeted one listener.</a></p>
From Your Site Articles
- The Athletic lays off Longhorns writer Kaelen Jones - austonia ›
- Alamo Drafthouse to lay off furloughed workers - austonia ›
- 7 Austin American-Statesman newsroom staffers laid off - austonia ›
- GoDaddy to close both Austin offices - austonia ›
- Bad vibes: Austin fears for fate of ACL—official word: 'too early to tell ... ›
- Austin's musicians get creative with drive-in concerts - austonia ›
- Nearly 100 Austin festivals canceled, postponed or at risk as ... ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th* - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th* - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
(wolterke/Adobe)
The Athletic, a modern, digital-only site that covers sports primarily in the United States, laid off 46 people, including its Austin-based University of Texas beat writer, Kaelen Jones.
<p>The sports journalism business continues to be hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, although sports across the world are beginning, gradually, to come back to competition.<br></p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4MDMwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTE3NDEwNn0.bQOZnQsJwlR4GLVnlSjFv3Bn_yo2dADeKW4ECHmnET0/img.jpg?width=980" id="bdd21" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3b202117d2edbfe839e3d7abd600732e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Kaelen Jones/Twitter)
<p>Jones announced that he'd been laid off via Twitter on Friday, writing that he had an "extremely fortuitous career path. Unfortunately, my time with The Athletic is up. Couldn't be more appreciative of the opportunity covering one of the most iconic college football programs."<br></p><div id="a1523" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e90193133bf058afe2278243b437aa99"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1268954734242590721" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I've had an extremely fortuitous career path. Unfortunately, my time with The Athletic is up. Couldn't be more appr… https://t.co/n2bORc1Nvz</div> — Kaelen Jones (@Kaelen Jones)<a href="https://twitter.com/kaelenjones/statuses/1268954734242590721">1591377359.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Stewart Mandel, who is editor of The Athletic's college sports coverage, posted on Twitter that "Kaelen is one of the most talented young reporters I've ever met. He took on a huge challenge, moved to Austin TX to cover a major college team and wowed us all. He will be a star for many years to come."</p><div id="ba0b1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e6474cc1cd3334aa1b1e91bb6a00b3fe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1268977332821229568" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Kaelen is one of the most talented young reporters I've ever met. He took on a huge challenge, moved to Austin TX t… https://t.co/IvvP2kdTWx</div> — Stewart Mandel (@Stewart Mandel)<a href="https://twitter.com/slmandel/statuses/1268977332821229568">1591382747.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The Athletic layoffs represented about 8% of the workforce for the company, which was created in 2016. An Athletic editor posted on the site after the layoffs were announced that UT coverage would be a point of emphasis with the staff's national college writers. <br/></p><p>But with few events to cover—and news outlets struggling around the country—the sports journalism industry is bleeding jobs.</p><p>Also on Friday, at least 10 editorial employees with the sports site SB Nation confirmed they had taken a buyout from Vox Media. The company had furloughed 9% of its workforce in April for three months. Most of the impacted employees worked for Vox's sports-specific site.</p><p>The Maven, the company that bought and has attempted to remake iconic Sports Illustrated magazine last year, told the Securities and Exchange Commission in a Friday filing that it would be instituting temporary, staff-wide pay cuts. </p><p>Locally, the Austin American-Statesman laid off a sportswriter and <a data-linked-post="2645849667" href="https://austonia.com/media/7-statesman-newsroom-staffers-laid-off" target="_blank">six others in late April</a>.</p><p>But sports are beginning to come back after coronavirus-mandated hibernation. </p><p>On Monday, UT upperclassmen football players who lived off campus began orientation to prep for new COVID-19 workout guidelines. Underclassmen will take the same orientation next week. </p><p>The Big 12 is allowing voluntary off-season workouts to begin June 15, intending to start the season on time.</p><p>The PGA, after a more than three-month competitive hiatus, will have its first tournament this week—the Charles Schwab Challenge at Fort Worth's Colonial Golf Club.</p><p>The NBA and Major League Baseball still are in the process of deciding when to restart.<br/><br/>The Athletic was supposed to be a new digital news business model that would be profitable.</p><p>Instead, with few live sports to cover, the digital site also ordered pay cuts for the remaining staff. Alex Mather, the CEO of The Athletic, told his staff that new subscriptions had dropped by 20-30% and advertising for the company-branded podcasts had been "severely impacted."<br/></p>From Your Site Articles
- UT plans on Longhorns football in fall 2020 - austonia ›
- 7 Austin American-Statesman newsroom staffers laid off - austonia ›
- NPR's KUT/ KUTX ask for furloughs due to budget shortfall - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th* - austonia ›
- Meghan Markle to interview Austin's Emily Ramshaw of The19th* - austonia ›
- What losing football to COVID-19 would mean for Texas college towns: "It’s like losing Christmas" - austonia ›
- Longhorns may have fall season: Big 12, SEC, ACC still hoping to play in 2020 - reports - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
The Statesman layoffs were a part of layoffs across Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper chain, which also owns 260 other newspapers in 46 states. (Michael Barera)
(Editor's Note: Oppel is editorial advisor to Austonia.com. From 1995-2008, he was editor and vice president of the Austin American-Statesman.)
Veteran sportswriter Suzanne Halliburton and culture critic Joe Gross were among seven staffers laid off on Friday by the Austin American-Statesman. The layoffs come at a time when most Statesman employees are on unpaid furloughs one week each month.
<p>The Statesman layoffs <a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2020/after-coronavirus-furloughs-gannett-newspapers-lay-off-journalists-around-the-country/" target="_blank">apparently</a> were a part of layoffs across Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper chain, which owns the Statesman and 260 other newspapers in 46 states. </p><p>Those dismissed by the Statesman were:</p><p>—Arianna Auber, who was the "liquid Austin" columnist covering beverages in the features department.</p><p>—Joe Gross, who was the pop culture, film and literature writer. He was considered one of the strongest writers on the Statesman's staff. </p><p>"May 1 will be my final day at the Austin-American Statesman, where I have worked fulltime for 18 years and had a byline for nearly 20," Gross tweeted Friday. "I was informed this morning my position was eliminated. Thank you for reading my stuff there."</p><p>—James Gregg, who was a photojournalist and deputy director of video and photography. Gregg is a University of Kansas graduate who previously worked for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has been in Austin since 2014.</p><p>—Suzanne Halliburton, who covered Texas A&M football and was an expert on recruiting and on the NFL draft. She was among the female pioneers of sports journalism who gained access to the once male-dominated press boxes and locker rooms. She joined the Statesman in August 1986. </p><p>"So, let me tell you about my day," Halliburton wrote on a Facebook post Friday evening. "Woke up late after working til after midnight. Heard rumors about layoffs. Noticed I had a had a text message and a Zoom invite from the editor. I had time to fix my face and find out I'd been laid off from a job I've had for almost 34 years.</p><p>"To say this sucks is an understatement. I feel like my family filed for divorce. But this is what happens when your paper is bought out, then one chain merges with another. Got any job ideas? Please send them my way." </p><p>The Statesman was purchased from Cox Enterprises Inc. of Atlanta for $47.5 million by GateHouse in April 2018. In August 2019, GateHouse bought Gannett for $1.4 billion. In the combined company, GateHouse took on Gannett's name. </p><p>—Mike Parker, who graduated from Texas State University in 2002 with a B.A. in mass communications, for the last five years has been editor of the Round Rock Leader and Pflugerville Pflag, both in the Statesman's community newspapers group. </p><p>—Nick Wagner, who graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017, was a photojournalist with the Statesman. </p><p>Wagner tweeted, "Hey editor! I'm your newest freelancer available for hire in Texas/northern Mexico. I am fluent in Spanish, excel under pressure & nothing stops me from making photos (just ask Bevo XV). @Gannett just laid me off from @statesman as a result of its latest merger. DMs are open!"</p><p>Wagner was <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20190102/statesman-photographer-says-hell-pay-bevo-more-respect-in-future-after-close-encounter" target="_blank">struck</a> by Bevo during the 2019 Sugar Bowl when the Longhorns' mascot charged Uga, the Georgia Bulldogs' mascot. He was not hurt. </p><p>—Aaricka Washington, the K-12 education reporter, who has a degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and joined the Statesman in September 2019.</p><p>She tweeted, "It's been taking me hours to muster the courage and strength to write this. I was one of seven reporters who just got laid off from @Statesman. It hurts. It feels unreal. But I'm grateful for everything I've learned as an edu reporter working for this great org."</p><p>Poynter.org <a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2020/after-coronavirus-furloughs-gannett-newspapers-lay-off-journalists-around-the-country/" target="_blank">reported on its website</a>, "It's unclear if the layoffs are in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus or the result of the merger with Gatehouse, though one source told Poynter the cuts relate to the Gatehouse/Gannett integration and that sites with overlap were getting the cuts. Gannett executives told The New York Times in November that they would look for 'efficiencies' after the merger."</p><p>The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a nonprofit journalism school and research organization located in St. Petersburg, Fla. </p><p>It is not clear how efficiencies would be achieved at the Statesman by reducing "overlaps," since no other Gannett newspapers operate in Central Texas. However, the Statesman has been well-staffed among its Gannett peers, given the tough environment for newspapers. </p><p>Statesman editors declined to comment.</p><p>On March 30, the Statesman newsroom was among Gannett newsrooms that were <a data-linked-post="2645619410" href="https://austonia.com/coronavirus-devastates-some-local-news-outlets-carving-out-bright-spots-for-others" target="_blank">directed to furlough employees</a>. Those making more than $38,000 a year were required to take one week of unpaid leave for April, May and June.</p><p>A Gannett company spokesperson told Poynter.org, "We remain steadfast in our efforts to integrate our new company in order to realize the full potential of our combined resources and scale to sustain and preserve quality journalism for the long term. The moves, while imperative, are tough. The elimination of any job and the loss of valued colleagues is deeply felt."<br/></p><p>Wagner, the photojournalist, tweeted that at the time of the GateHouse-Gannett merger, "CEO Paul Bascobert said front-line reporters are 'the last place we want to touch' with cuts. A week ago I was 'front line' in every sense or the term, covering a protest an risking my health. Yesterday I was laid off." </p><p>He added later, "I can only hope Gannett keeps its hands off my favorite newsroom." </p>
From Your Site Articles
- The Athletic lays off Longhorns writer Kaelen Jones - austonia ›
- NPR's KUT/ KUTX ask for furloughs due to budget shortfall - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
In the daily drumbeat of grim headlines about struggling news organizations that are trying to survive an economic crisis while covering a global pandemic, a bright spot can be found in at least one place, at least right now: local TV news.
"We are healthy," said Eric Lassberg, vice president and general manager at KXAN Austin News/NBC. "There have been no dramatic changes. The word from the top is, 'Let's just work hard and help our local communities. This is a time to pull the bootstraps and do great journalism.'"
In Austin, leaner staffs, increased viewership trends during disasters and an election-fueled infusion of cash in the first quarter have put local TV news in the unique position of being able to survive—at least for now—the financial realities that have forced more devastating moves in the Austin print community.
<p>On Monday, reporters and other employees at the <em>Austin American-Statesman</em> were met with the news that they would need to take three unpaid weeks off over the next three months as their parent company, Gannett, tries to deal with shrinking advertising dollars. </p><p>Earlier this month, the <em>Austin Chronicle</em> went from four monthly print publications to two. </p><p>Newspapers had already been struggling for years before the health crisis. By contrast, local news stations—particularly in Austin, among the top 50 largest TV markets in the country—were enjoying an infusion of millions of dollars by local and national candidates vying for their parties' nomination in Texas' March primaries.<br/><br/>That is part of the reason they have not been as affected by the dramatic decline in advertising, said Rosental Alves, director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas and professor of journalism at the University of Texas-Austin. </p><p>"It is clear that their situation is better than the newspapers,'" he said.</p><p>The stations are not immune because they are based on advertising, which—even as some industries like delivery services buy more air time—is still reliant on the health of businesses, most of which are closed in Austin right now. <br/><br/>And even the most striking increases in viewership that would in normal times translate to better pitches to advertising clients, aren't going to make much impact on a business that has no money to spend, no matter how high the investment return would be.</p><p>Lassberg said his station has seen the profile and messaging of their advertising clients shift: More services that are thriving, such as deliveries, and more messages of solidarity. </p><p>"You'll see that a lot of advertisers are just speaking and communicating to the community almost in a way where it's not necessarily an advertisement," Lassberg said. </p><p>But because this pandemic is unlike any other disaster or crisis we have seen in this lifetime, Alves said, the future of even TV is uncertain—even after the crisis ends. <br/><br/>"Of course, this crisis is different," he said. "And the world will never be the same in terms of media."</p>
Keep Reading
Show less
