The board of Houston Landing has voted to shut down the nonprofit newsroom in the face of financial challenges. Although Houston Landing launched with significant seed funding, it has been unable to build additional revenue streams to support ongoing operations.
The newsroom anticipates it will cease publishing by mid-May of this year. This timeline will enable Houston Landing to facilitate a thoughtful transition.
“We are proud of the Landing’s coverage of Greater Houston and continue to believe deeply in the need for more free, independent journalism in our region,” said Ann B. Stern, board chair of Houston Landing. “This decision was difficult but necessary. Houston Landing’s reporting has made a meaningful impact in the community, but it struggled to find its long-term financial footing.”
The Houston Landing board continues to believe there is a strong need for nonprofit local news in Houston and a viable path to sustaining it. The board has entered into discussions with The Texas Tribune, which is exploring the possibility of establishing a Houston news initiative as part of its broader strategy to expand local journalism and serve more Texans.
“We have great respect for Houston Landing’s work in delivering high-quality, nonpartisan journalism to its readers,” said Sonal Shah, CEO of The Texas Tribune. “We also understand the profound challenges facing local newsrooms today — journalism is a public service and needs a strong ecosystem to thrive. We look forward to exploring how we can learn from what the Landing started and create a sustainable model that serves the Houston community. We will take time to explore the right path forward to ensure sustainability.”
The Texas Tribune recently announced plans to expand its network of local newsrooms. The Waco Bridge, its new initiative in Waco, is scheduled to launch in 2025, and a newsroom in Austin, where The Texas Tribune is headquartered, will follow later in the year. Through its Texas network model, The Texas Tribune offers local newsrooms shared support — including fundraising, marketing, human resources, technology, legal and business services — so that local editorial teams can focus on high-impact reporting and serving their distinct audiences.
Houston Landing launched in February 2023, funded with a seed investment of over $20 million from the Houston Endowment, Arnold Ventures, Kinder Foundation, American Journalism Project and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Houston Landing was born out of a two-year study spearheaded by the American Journalism Project that found many Houstonians do not feel they have access to a trusted source for deeply reported stories that impact their daily lives.
“While it’s with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our newsroom, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the dedicated journalists and staff members who poured their passion into our mission every single day,” said Peter Bhatia, CEO, Houston Landing.
“Houston Landing demonstrates how a commitment to truth and accountability can transform communities and improve lives. I’m thankful to those who believed in us, supported us, and stood with us as we connected with each other through stories that inspired positive change.”
Although raising funds remained a challenge, Houston Landing journalism has had an impact on its community: it prompted proposed legislation and changes that protect Houston students; connected the community to changemakers; and provided the growing Latino community with critical news in Spanish.