The Texas Tribune is the only member-supported, digitally focused, nonpartisan news organization that informs and engages with Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
We’re proud that a strong member community has helped us accomplish what we set out to do in the first five years — hold elected officials accountable and connect Texans to our state.
Before The Texas Tribune’s creation in 2009, the options were drying up for Texans seeking in-depth coverage of state politics and public policy.
That trend was reversed dramatically when John Thornton, Evan Smith and Ross Ramsey co-founded the Tribune. Believing that nonpartisan news and information are crucial components of democracy, they created a valued source of news and engagement on statewide issues.
The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
The Tribune’s coverage spans the state. But if you’re looking for information that hits closer to home, we have that, too.
We build databases so Texans can examine topics like public schools and hospitals on a local level. One of our most popular databases, the Government Salaries Explorer, helps promote local accountability.
We also bring statewide coverage home with our Election Scoreboard, which can be customized to feature hometown candidates and races.
The Tribune’s reporting has changed the way business in the state Capitol is done. As a result, Texans have found it easier to participate in the legislative process.
We’ve leveraged cutting-edge technology to connect millions of Texans with their state government. One example is the Tribune’s livestream of the 83rd Legislative Session and its subsequent special sessions.
With livestream technology, Texans could watch and listen to their elected officials in real time from anywhere and on any device.
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| 29,439,958 Minutes Watched | 132,012 Livestream Comments |
The legislative livestream played such a large role in promoting transparency and accountability, we decided to make it a permanent reporting tool.
Today, with membership support, we livestream breaking news, big political announcements, election night coverage, rallies, our own live events and more.
Livestreaming is a new-age solution for an age-old problem.
You don’t have to be an expert on politics to understand conflicts of interest and breaches in public accountability.
The Tribune’s award-winning Bidness as Usual project follows the money and takes another look at lawmakers and the ethics rules that govern them. As a result of this project, stricter ethics legislation was filed in the last legislative session.
We’re holding your elected officials’ feet to the fire, and Texas Tribune members make it possible.
Our talented reporters are interviewing, investigating and fact-checking so you get the full story. And as a result, citizen involvement is on the rise in Texas. Together, we’re creating a more productive, thoughtful and engaged Texas.
Number of Reporters by Year
The Tribune’s hardest-hitting investigative projects are labeled “TribInvestigates” and provide Texans with new levels of accountability.
A recent installment in the TribInvestigates series is the four-part “Hurting for Work” investigation, which exposed gaping holes in the state’s workers’ compensation system.
This project resulted in immediate changes to Texas’ worker safety hotline and to the life of a young mother whose husband was killed in a workplace accident.
Free, live town hall-style conversations are an essential part of the Tribune’s DNA.
Our 60-plus events a year provide Texans with the opportunity to see, hear and question their elected officials, community leaders and industry experts directly — with no staffer or aide in between.
And to further advance access, we publish video and audio of our events online for anyone to use as a resource.
The Texas Tribune Festival, our signature annual event, attracts thousands of attendees from Texas and beyond to learn about Texas’ biggest challenges and engage in thoughtful discussion about solutions. Decision-makers, industry leaders and community activists come to take part in shaping the conversation.
With the support of Tribune members, we’ve taken kitchen-table conversations to a statewide audience.
Texans are coming together in community centers and local college campuses from Harlingen to Beaumont to Lubbock to El Paso for face-to-face conversations.
We’ve used technology to deliver a new kind of journalism: nonpartisan news that can reach more people and make it easier for them to participate. As a result, we’re building a community of more productive, thoughtful and engaged citizens.
Our current goal is to reach even more Texans — in all corners of the state — allowing them to be informed and engaged in the same way our audience has been for the first five years.
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As a citizen-supported organization, our strength, independence and momentum come from you.
Our member community attracts everyday Texans who want to ensure the future of our great state. Thanks to our members, citizen involvement in Texas is on the rise.
Beyond facilitating a statewide conversation, we believe Texans deserve a voice. That’s why we launched TribTalk — a 21st century op-ed with a twist.
Doubling as a digital town square, TribTalk features thoughtful perspectives on Texas politics and policy from a diverse pool of Texans, and we encourage readers to participate. TribTalk is just another way The Texas Tribune is returning civility back to public discourse.
