The ongoing Friends of The Daily Texan fund-drive has reached $31,460, all to be used for Texan scholarships, project needs and other items to support the student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin. The recent fund drive focused on raising donations to replace revenue lost by cancellation of the Friends’ group 2020 annual dinner due to the pandemic. You may view the list of recent donors here: https://friendsofthedailytexan.com/donors-to-the-texan/ The fund drive began last September and brought in $8,700 between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020 from 40 donors. Continuation of the fund drive from Jan. 1 resulted in […]
Read more →The Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. board of directors has elected three new board members: veteran journalism instructor and journalist Griff Singer, Texas state politics reporter Madlin Mekelburg and long-time New Orleans journalist John Pope. Please take a moment to review their stellar bios below and check out the board of directors page here. Madlin Mekelburg Madlin is a state politics reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, where she writes about environmental issues and state spending. Madlin is a recipient of the Friends of The Daily Texan Rising Star award. She has previously worked for PolitiFact Texas and the […]
Read more →Now, more than ever, The Daily Texan needs your help. When Covid-19 hit hard a year ago, The Daily Texan was prospering, excelling editorially, fully staffed. And Texas Student Media was headed for a strong year built around an aggressive budget. A year later, The Texan perseveres, making sure the UT campus gets the coverage it deserves and needs. The adjustment has not been easy. To weather the pandemic, student journalist salaries have been cut at The Texan, and staff reductions have taken place at Texas Student Media. The Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc., an 8-year-old non-profit founded to […]
Read more →A new Editor-in-Chief and two new Managing Editors have been selected to lead The Daily Texan in the coming year. Sanika Nayak has been elected Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Texan for the 2021-2022 academic year. After being in the opinion department for two years, Sanika was selected to serve on the Diversity and Inclusion Board as Internal Relations Director. In this role, she helps to create an inclusive environment within the Texan and works to ensure that coverage is respectful and representative of all communities on campus. As Internal Relations Director, Sanika helps to edit stories, maintain coverage tracking, and […]
Read more →Editor’s Note: Those who worked at The Daily Texan on the University of Texas campus in the 1960s, 70s and 80s remember “Mr. Hilburn.“ He was the editorial adviser to the student paper, and a renowned journalist himself before returning to Austin to work with the students. Bob Hilburn was also the cousin of author Larry McMurtry. Bob never mentioned that to Texan staffers. But when Hilburn was inducted into the Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame in 2018 the photo with this article came from his wife Jeanette, and his daughter Sidney Hilburn, who provided this info: […]
Read more →Editor’s note: One of the best friends of The Daily Texan during the Erwin years has passed on. Vartan Gregorian had such a distinguished career that his early years at the University of Texas barely earn a mention in the NYT obit. But he is remembered for his helpful guidance and insight about faculty politics during some very tumultuous times that threatened the very existence of The Daily Texan. He orchestrated a big support dinner in 1971 that raised funds for a lawsuit against Erwin and the board of regents that ultimately preserved TDT’s independence. He was also a very […]
Read more →Editor’s note: Below is information about Daily Texan and UT graduate Karen Tumulty’s critically-acclaimed biography of Nancy Reagan. In addition, here is a link to an except in The Washington Post about Mrs. Reagan’s critical role in the White House, and Tumulty’s new book. ••••••• With this definitive biography of the fiercely vigilant and politically astute First Lady, Washington Post political columnist Karen Tumulty shows how Nancy Reagan shaped one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th century, and made herself a place in history. Tumulty spent four years interviewing the people who knew this couple best and draws […]
Read more →With COVID-19 forced cancellation of Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame dinner and fund-raiser last fall, the Friends group has created a “virtual” celebration to honor those who would normally be recognized in person. Ten Daily Texan Hall of Fame honorees are being honored and 7 Texan staffers have received scholarship awards. All are recognized in a series of videos on the Friends of The Daily Texan YouTube channel. A total of 15 Texan reporters and videographers, hired by the Friends group, did the interviews and video work. The videos are short and concise – 5 minutes or […]
Read more →By Natalie England, Assistant Director of Communications Moody College of Communication Ruth and Paul SoRelle met as journalism students working at The Daily Texan. “I was on the copydesk, and he came in (to the newsroom) to schmooze with the copy chief,” Ruth recalled. “Paul was (still in school) and also with the Long News Service covering the Legislature. I remember he had on a suit – an usual form of dress in the late 1960s.” Initially friends, they started dating and eventually announced their marriage engagement to their families, which prompted a “heated discussion on the wedding and […]
Read more →Trinady Joslin has been named Managing Editor of The Daily Texan for the spring semester. Trinady started on The Texan as a general reporter in Life and Arts in Fall 2018 and quickly moved up to a senior reporter position during Spring 2019, writing two stories a week, as well as a long form story on barriers disabled students face when applying for accommodations. She also developed a beat within disability reporting. She was an Associate Life and Arts Editor in Fall 2019 and head Life and Arts editor in Spring and Summer 2020 In fall of 2020 she served […]
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