Texas Center for Community Journalism

06/21/2024

TCCJ Director Austin Lewter and Janice Horak,
Tarleton Executive Director of Development, greeted Texas journalists tonight at the Texas Press Association Trade Show in College Station.

06/20/2024

We will we open for business at 5:30 p.m. Come by the TCCJ’s booth at the Texas Press Association Convention and Trade Show to pick up your swag and learn about our upcoming workshops.

06/13/2024

Do you need you a bag for your swag?

Come see us next week in College Station at the Texas Press Association’s annual Trade Show and Convention and pick up a TCCJ bag to hold all your goodies.

06/06/2024

05/17/2024

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/16/24158531/gannett-ai-generated-overviews-usa-today-memo

The summaries are already live on some stories.

05/14/2024

JOIN US: Learn More About News Partnerships that Benefit Your Community -

The Texas Center for Community Journalism is exploring a potential Texas cohort collaboration of News Ambassadors project, particularly focused in rural and other under-reported communities in Texas.    We want to start a conversation about how to better serve our communities with news coverage...

05/13/2024

https://tccjtsu.com/enrollment-now-open-print-prodigy-crafting-compelling-design-free-tccj-workshop/

Categories Design Front Page ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN- Print Prodigy: Crafting Compelling Design FREE TCCJ Workshop Post author By tcucommjou Post date May 13, 2024 Are you a Print Prodigy? Attention all creatives, journalists and design enthusiasts! Are you eager to learn the how to build better newspap...

05/10/2024

TCCJ contributor Robert Bohler discusses interview techniques yesterday at our Spring Writing Workshop in Navasota. Thanks to the Navasota Grimes County Chamber of Commerce for hosting us. It was a wonderful event.

05/09/2024

ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN- Print Prodigy: Crafting Compelling Design- FREE TCCJ Workshop

Attention all creatives, journalists and design enthusiasts!
Are you eager to learn the how to build better newspaper layouts? Are you passionate about visual storytelling?

Would you like a design pro to critique your layouts and offer personalized tips?

Look no further!

The Texas Center for Community Journalism will host a FREE workshop PRINTING PRODIGY: CRAFTING COMPELLING DESIGN in Fort Worth.

It will run 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, June 28 at the Tarleton State University-Fort Worth Campus.

Whether you are a seasoned layout pro or new to the design
trade, this workshop is for you.

Layout and design are our most requested workshop topics, and we are thrilled to have such a session back on our schedule.

The workshop is completely FREE and will be led by veteran design trainer Broc Sears.

It will be an intense, full day of practical tips and design inspiration you’ll be able to employee at your shop immediately.

The agenda will include:
• Design fundamentals
• Effective ad design
• Better print design
• Web publications
• Headline and cutline writing
• And more

We will also offer opportunities for Broc to give your publication design a once-over and prepare a personalized critique of your work. You’ll go home with a concrete plan about how to improve your design.

This will be a one-stop-shop for the working designer looking to sharpen their skills, but there is no experience required.

It will also be a great asset for the entry level layout person as well.

The training and meals are completely FREE, thanks to a grant from the Texas Newspaper Foundation.

We just need you to get to Fort Worth on June 28 and be ready to learn more in one day than you ever thought possible.

You and REGISTER AT THIS LINK:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeh9GC8vKV8ad0Se3khd0H3LxkrytcSUre0pw8vhPzQU0RjdQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

So, click on the link and fill out the form. You’ll receive confirmation within 24 hours of completing the application.

After that, just clear your schedule and be prepared to be blown away.

We hope to see you next month in Fort Worth!

05/08/2024

We are set up in Navasota a ready to welcome a wonderful group of Texas community journalists to our Spring Writing Workshop in the morning.

04/29/2024

We had a great time this weekend in Granbury with the North and East Texas Press Association at their annual conference.

TCCJ Director Austin Lewter presented a session Saturday morning entitled “AI: Create Your Policy and Know What You’re Dealing With.”

04/19/2024

We have a great group of Texas journalists assembled at the joint convention of the South Texas Press and Texas Gulf Coast Press Associations today in Galveston. TCCJ Director Austin Lewter hosted a “Good Ideas Roundtable”with journalists from across the region.

04/12/2024

TCCJ Director Austin Lewter and contributor Robert Bohler hash things out in advance of today’s Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention and Job Fair in San Marcos.

The Center is onsite sharing community newspaper job opportunities from across the state with college journalists.

04/08/2024

Are you hiring? -

03/29/2024

Tara Huff, publisher of The Eagle Press, is a testament to our industry. This is well deserved.

To say I was surprised is an understatement. Last night the Borger Chamber of Commerce presented me with Community Resilience Award. I am touched and honored by this recognition. I love my community, and am proud to serve them.

03/20/2024

Grant is a pillar to our industry. Congrats sir.

Hamilton Herald-News owner and publisher Grant Lengefeld was named Citizen of the Year Monday evening at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet. A Hamilton native, Lengefeld is a 1997 graduate of Hamilton High School and received his degree from Texas A&M University. He married his high school sweetheart, Shelly Summers, and they have three daughters, Campbell, Harper and Berkley. He is the son of David and Saundra Lengefeld, and his dad was Citizen of the Year in 2001. CONGRATULATIONS from your TEAM!

03/15/2024

Tarleton student journalists, from left, Reese Keeling, Jolee Skinner, Kiley Morgan and Copeland Welch got a first-hand tour of the New York Times newsroom today from Times staffer Andrew Chavez. Andrew is a TCU grad and the former Associate Director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism.

The students are in NYC this week attending the College Media Association Spring Convention. Thank you Andrew!

03/10/2024

Do you have a plan for your eclipse coverage?

https://www.atpi.org/photographing-the-2024-eclipse/?fbclid=IwAR2uJ-iOYYTJWRJVHTRiXPuFVPmjjLMQ7IJ394nTaN3RZcxMFj6f_YAU7F8_aem_AeG-xER11HdTYb84QS6uN_LM9bbQC8uksYzzG-6_vNfMU4FA_zD-q7UxYf16AFvVCHE

I covered my first eclipse in 1984 working for a local paper in Austin, Texas. I didn’t have a 300mm… Read more »

03/09/2024

Asking questions is the first— and most important— step in the sales process.

03/05/2024

This is a wonderful idea and one the Center could get behind. Let us know if you’re interested in launching such a workshop in your community. We’d love to help.

Instead of simply extending the opportunity to be part of the opinion section, why not meet with folks and give them the tools to join the conversation?

02/29/2024

Thank you to our Texan News Service staffers, the UT School of Journalism and everyone else involved with making today’s symposium such a success.

Texas Center for Community Journalism and Texan News Service staff is @ University of Texas at Austin Center for Ethical Leadership in Media, Celebrating Courage,Tenacity, Integrity, and Innovation in Rural Journalism

02/25/2024

TCCJ Director Austin Lewter and Tarleton student journalist Haeley Carpenter welcomed 25 BSA Scouts to the newsroom yesterday for Journalism Merit Badge training.

They were a few of the 800 scouts who descended upon the Stephenville campus over the weekend for Merit Badge training from volunteer faculty and local professionals.

📸 Isabella Lewter

Here is what one of the Scouts, a fledgling Middle School journalist wrote about the event:

SCOUTS LEARN AT TARLETON

At Tarleton State University, BSA Scouts from all over Texas came to a merit badge college to try to earn merit badges that they can use to achieve Eagle rank, the weekend of February 23-25, 2024.

These BSA Scouts got to choose from various merit badges, including things like journalism, citizenship in the world, horsemanship and so much more.

In one interview, Anum said, "Gardening is fun. You get distracted in class, so writing the paper takes a lot of work, but learning is still fun." She described the campground by stating, "The campground was nice, but it was not very nice that they would not let us play hide-seek."

“There are many beautiful things about this merit badge college. For one, I learned about the parts of the human body and an animal science." Safiya said. “The campsites are fantastic, with plenty of places to walk and entertain my little sister and her friends."

This ongoing event has already helped so many scouts get closer to the Eagle rank and has helped some learn a whole bunch in a fun and interactive way.

Thank you, Tarleton State University, for letting us have such an incredible event and supporting our journey to Eagle.

02/22/2024

Capitalization is for the birds:

Bird names may be capitalized in the birding world, but according to the Associated Press Stylebook, bird names are not capitalized.

02/16/2024

Our friends in Kentucky do great work.

The University of Kentucky has emphasized its support for rural journalism for two decades. Housed in the heart of one of America’s 60 largest cities, the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues (IRJCI) is celebrating its 20th year on campus. The IRJCI is designed to help students prep...

02/15/2024

https://www.tarleton.edu/news/texas-center-for-community-journalism-to-host-symposium/

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The Texas Center for Community Journalism, housed at Tarleton State University, will host “Courage, Tenacity, Integrity and Innovation ...

02/12/2024

https://www.npr.org/2024/02/12/165681524/bob-edwards-dead-npr-host

Edwards, a consummate newsman, hosted NPR's morning show for more than two decades. "He sort of set the tone and the bar for all of us," says one former NPR executive.

02/10/2024

"Reporters are not a very classy bunch."

-Calvin Trillin

NPR's Scott Simon asks writer Calvin Trillin about his new collection of reporting on reporters. It's called "The Lede: Dispatches from a Life in the Press."

02/09/2024

https://www.community-news.com/stories/aledo-publisher-among-community-journalists-to-talk-at-ut-austin,71583

Randy Keck, publisher of The Community News , will be one of three morning panelists at a symposium held at the University of Texas in Austin entitled “Courage, Tenacity, Integrity, and …