Welcoming Melissa Barragán Taboada as the first editor-in-chief of our new Austin newsroom

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We are excited to announce Melissa Barragán Taboada will serve as the inaugural editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune’s new Austin newsroom.

When we set out to find a new newsroom leader, we wanted someone who could marry editorial excellence with a deep community-oriented vision. Melissa brings exactly that: the experience, talent and passion to help Austin residents better understand their city and shape its future.

“I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help launch this newsroom and to be part of building a community-centered publication from the ground up,” Melissa said about this new role. “Austin is home — it’s where we raised our sons, built lasting roots, and where my heart has always been. I want to live and serve in the city I love.”

Melissa is uniquely prepared for this role. She spent more than 20 years at the Austin American-Statesman, where she launched two local newspapers in surrounding communities and mentored young journalists. She is a proud alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin and served as an adjunct professor of journalism.

Most recently, she has been leading the Boston Globe’s Great Divide team, which investigates educational inequities across Massachusetts. Under her leadership, the team won multiple national awards, including sharing an Edward R. Murrow Award that honored the Globe’s newsroom for overall excellence. Melissa has also been recognized with NAHJ’s New England's Impact Award and named to ALX100 by Amplify Latinx.

In her new role, Melissa will build and lead a newsroom dedicated to closing the information gaps in Austin; fostering strategic collaborations with local organizations; and delivering relevant, timely journalism that keeps pace with Austin’s explosive growth.

She will work closely with Joel Gross, general manager of the Austin newsroom, to grow our audience and deepen our impact, building on the foundation of the Austin Monitor, which the Tribune acquired this year. Melissa begins Sept. 30.

To follow the development of our newsroom as we launch our brand and make other exciting announcements, sign up here.

For now, please join us in welcoming Melissa back to Austin and get ready for a new era of community-centered journalism in the city that’s shaping Texas’ future.

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Three featured TribFest speakers confirmed! You don’t want to miss ​​Deb Haaland, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and 2026 Democratic candidate for New Mexico governor; state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston and 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and Jake Tapper, anchor of CNN’s “The Lead” and “State of the Union” at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get your tickets today!

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.