It’s becoming a familiar sight on college campuses and in high schools alike: students intentionally leaving their phones behind.

By Austin Lewter, Texas Center for Community Journalism

Well, our Texas high schoolers have had some help from the legislature who banned phones for them starting this year.

But the trend of ditching phones — at least temporarily —  is finding support on some college campuses.

Here we are quickly approaching the end of 2025. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m in a time warp and 10 months flew by at light speed.

By Lisa Chappell, 2025-26 TPA President

As I work on planning and budgeting for 2026, I am sure many of you are doing the same. Every year I review our sales promotions – cutting the ones that fell flat and coming up with new ones to take the place of the losers. Every year there seems to be more losers than the year before, and 2025 was no different for us.

In three decades of covering the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford has seen many changes in the court and in the media covering it. "I am not convinced that all that change is for the better," she said in her keynote address to the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual conference Sept. 26.

By CANDACE VELVIN, Texas Press Association

As my mind swirls around on all that is affecting our industry, I find myself wishing that we had a convention right now so that we could be together. 

By LISA CHAPPELL, TPA President 2025-26

I ask myself if I’m craving the in-depth discussions with my peers on how to maneuver these choppy waters. Or could it be it that there is comfort in numbers to fight the feeling of being alone on this island?

I want to start by saying that I am far from an expert on the topic of Artificial Intelligence.  In fact quite the opposite, I am barely past the novice stage of treating Chat GPT like it’s just another form of Google search. 

By LISA CHAPPELL, TPA President 2025-26

I specialize in training community journalists, both college students and professionals. This is of special interest to me, because I am — admittedly — still a student of the industry. If we are still doing, we are still learning.

By Austin Lewter, director, Texas Center for Community Journalism

I am one of those academics who is also a practitioner. I am right there in the trenches with you in my capacity as owner/publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record.

The Hallmark Channel wrapped up its movie lineup for those who love to celebrate Christmas in July. With fall now upon us, it is the time to start planning keepsake year-end editions. Seize the opportunity to produce solid content and generate revenue.

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

Many operations may gasp at the thought of producing another special section. Begin taking baby steps now, and the task will not seem so foreboding.

Today’s hyper-partisan political climate has put all media – including the community press – in everyone’s crosshairs. The examination extends beyond opinion pages, which always have drawn extra scrutiny.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

Readers increasingly question the five Ws and H of reporting: Who is the source for a story? What is reported, and what is omitted? Where does the story appear, front page or inside? When does the paper choose to pursue a story? Why is or isn’t something reported? How is the story told?

We are winding down a busy summer at the TCCJ and looking ahead to the upcoming school year at the university.

As we celebrate our successes, we are looking ahead and need your help to plan future workshops.

By Austin Lewter, TCCJ director 

Before that, it always behooves me to remind folks who are and what we do. 

The Texas Center for Community Journalism exists to provide training, support and resources to Texas community newspapers. 

It was a Saturday evening – March 12, 2016 – and I was with a group of people – co-workers, friends, family and members of the community. We were all there to witness a moment of history.

By Lisa Chappell, TPA president 2025-26

We stood in the pressroom watching the Sunday paper whiz through each unit. The floor below us vibrating, the deafening sounds of the press, the smell of ink. Things all too familiar and usually exciting to watch.