While layoffs in the moribund local news sector are routine at this point, the Tribune’s business model has largely insulated it from cutbacks that have whittled local and regional journalism in recent decades. These are the first layoffs in its 14-year history.
Founded in 2009, the Austin-based company’s solid financial grounding and focus on civic engagement made it a shining example for the Baltimore Banner, the City and hundreds of other nonprofit newsrooms that have sprung up in recent years as traditional local newspapers circle the drain. The Tribune, which is free to read, covers public policy, immigration, health care and the environment; its reporters have won national awards for coverage the school shooting in Uvalde, the 2021 winter storm and other major Texas news events.