New Austin news site hits the ground

Between the lines: One of the Free Press' founders is Bill Bunch, the executive director of the environmental group Save Our Springs Alliance and a perennial lightning rod in the fights over the development of Austin.

• Bunch has led a string of lawsuits lately against the city over open meetings act issues and tax subsidies for the development of the former American-Statesman property.
• The Free Press' editor is Andrew Wheat, the former research director for Texans for Public Justice, a nonprofit that examines the ties between money and politics.

We spoke with Free Press board member Alberta Phillips, a longtime reporter and editorial writer for the Austin American-Statesman, about the new organization, whose mission is "to equip Austinites to make informed decisions through independent, investigative reporting, diverse opinions, and civil dialogue."

Tell me about the genesis of the Free Press.

"A group of Austin activists reached out to talk about issues not being addressed by mainstream media — efforts to engage mainstream media were falling short. Because, as you know, the media ecosystem was rapidly shrinking during that time, the capacity wasn't what it used to be — not that it was whatever it needed to be for this town as it grew rapidly during the last thirty years. It was hard for these groups and populations to get a footing. At some point, they thought, if this is going to change, we have to be the change agent."

What stories is the Austin Free Press focusing on?

"We're focusing on stories and issues underrepresented in the mainstream media space. That does mean communities of color and also underrepresented communities, such as the LGBTQ+ community and certainly every day working people. We're examining governmental transparency, environmental justice, education, equity issues and affordable housing."

How should readers understand Bill Bunch's involvement in this project?

"We are pressing on the issues that we see confronting this city. Whether those stories come from Bill Bunch or from elsewhere, we're going to go after those stories."

In what ways does the Free Press want to be a community-based organization?

"For years we have tried to figure out a way Austin's only HBCU can get a journalism program. It'd be in in the best interest of the entire community, to train up African Americans and Latinos. That has not happened. … But we've had four students from Huston-Tillotson publishing news stories onto our website. They're integrating this into their classwork and getting credit, and we're paying interns as well. It's a win-win. For the community. And it's an example of stepping into a gap that's not being fulfilled."