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Evan Smith is the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a pioneering nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news organization whose deep coverage of Texas politics and public policy can be found at its website, texastribune.org, and in newspapers and on TV and radio stations across the state. Since its launch in 2009, the Tribune has won international acclaim and numerous honors, including a Peabody Award, 21 national Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association and three general excellence awards from the Online News Association. Evan is also the host of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” a weekly half-hour interview program that airs on PBS stations around the country. A native of New York, he's a graduate of Hamilton College and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to University of Texas at Austin professor Michael Webber about the state’s failure to prepare for a brutal winter storm, the fragile electric grid we depend on, and whether the future of energy is bright or bleak. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Trent Ashby about his bill to create a state broadband plan — a long-overdue effort to address our digital deficiency at a time when school, work and health care have all moved online. Full Story
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Nicole Collier, chairwoman of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, about the George Floyd Act, bail reform, marijuana, public safety funding and other items on the agenda in the 2021 session. Full Story
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks with Dr. Peter Hotez, a virologist at Baylor College of Medicine, about mask mandates, vaccine availability, reopening schools and businesses, and the trajectory of the pandemic. Full Story
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Sen. Larry Taylor, chair of the Senate Education Committee, about whether it’s possible to fully fund last session's school finance bill, learning loss, broadband access, the STAAR test and more. Full Story
In this episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, recorded on Jan. 15, 2021, Evan Smith interviews 25-term state Rep. Senfronia Thompson about COVID-19, race, public ed and that whippersnapper Dade Phelan. Full Story
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks politics, policy, priorities and the pandemic with Dade Phelan, the presumptive speaker of the Texas House. Full Story
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith and Ross Ramsey discuss the contours of the speaker’s race. Full Story
We learned a lot during our first-ever virtual TribFest — how long sessions should ideally be (shorter), whether it’s easier to book speakers who don’t have to travel to Austin (duh) and much more. Hope you learned a lot too. Full Story
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250 speakers. 100 sessions. 30 thought-provoking days. And you don’t have to leave your comfiest chair. Full Story
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Our signature ideas weekend is now an ideas month, and that’s only one of the many pandemic-inspired changes we have in store. Full Story
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With no certain end to the coronavirus pandemic in sight, the show must go online. We're excited! The new on-sale date for #TribFest20 tickets is June 1. Full Story
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Fears about the coronavirus, real and existential, have resulted in many cancellations of crowded gatherings. Under the circumstances, and until things change, this is the prudent thing to do. Full Story
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Hillary Clinton, Will Hurd, Anita Hill, Gretchen Carlson, Adam Schiff, Kara Swisher, Andrew Yang and Robert Costa are among the participants in our two-day series of interviews and panel discussions on topics that affect us in Texas, the U.S. and around the world. Full Story
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These superlative journalists and inspiring role models will be The Texas Tribune's new editorial director and chief product officer, respectively. We’re so lucky to have them on our team. Full Story
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Our 10th annual ideas weekend will be Sept. 24-26 — once again in downtown Austin, in the shadow of the Capitol. We'll talk about the momentous election cycle; the coming legislative session; big issues like school finance, renewable energy and criminal justice reform; and so much more. Full Story
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In the coming year, all of us at The Texas Tribune will work harder than ever to search for the truth and tell you what we find, to watchdog people in power and institutions without regard to party or ideology, and to tee up the things important enough for you to stop and pay attention to. Full Story
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It's a $4 million, three-year effort to identify sustainability strategies for our industry — a freestanding entity in our Austin newsroom where we’ll experiment with innovative ways to fund journalism, model best practices, and mentor dozens of our would-be peers. Full Story
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They'll exit their leadership roles at The Texas Tribune at the end of the year. We couldn't be more grateful for all they've done for us — or prouder of what they're about to do. Full Story
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On Nov. 3, 2009, when we flipped the switch on texastribune.org, we gave life to the idea that nonpartisan journalism in the public interest still matters. In the years since, you've put your faith in us to help you navigate the sometimes choppy waters of Texas. Full Story
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