KXAN Investigates joins ProPublica partnership to expand Texas accountability reporting

The initiative supports investigative journalism in newsrooms across the state

Apr. 11, 2026 at 1:55am

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A serene, cinematic painting of the Texas state capitol building, its grand architecture bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation about the role of state government.The partnership between KXAN Investigates, ProPublica, and The Texas Tribune will support critical accountability journalism focused on the impact of state and federal actions on local communities.Austin Today

KXAN Investigates has been selected as one of five Texas news organizations to participate in the second year of a local investigative initiative led by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. The program supports accountability journalism in newsrooms across the state. Over the next year, KXAN Investigates and the other participating outlets will report on state and federal efforts that restrict local control, working in collaboration with the Texas investigative unit housed at ProPublica and the Tribune.

Why it matters

This partnership will allow KXAN Investigates to expand its digital-first investigative reporting and use innovative storytelling approaches to examine complex issues that impact communities across Texas. The initiative supports accountability journalism at a time when local control is being increasingly restricted by state and federal actions.

The details

KXAN Investigates launched its digital-first investigative team, Catalyst, in 2019, reporting on topics including gaps in Texas' missing persons system, mental competency issues among incarcerated people and deaths in police custody. Since early 2025, KXAN Investigates has also led a coalition of about 20 journalists in a multiplatform crowdsourcing project titled 'Undocumented: Texas' Immigration Impact in a New Trump Era,' exploring how changes in immigration enforcement are affecting communities across the state.

  • KXAN Investigates launched its digital-first investigative team, Catalyst, in 2019.
  • Since early 2025, KXAN Investigates has led a coalition of about 20 journalists in a multiplatform crowdsourcing project titled 'Undocumented: Texas' Immigration Impact in a New Trump Era.'

The players

KXAN Investigates

The investigative unit of KXAN, an Austin, Texas-based television station.

ProPublica

A nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

The Texas Tribune

A nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news organization that focuses on Texas politics and public policy.

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The takeaway

This partnership between KXAN Investigates, ProPublica, and The Texas Tribune will strengthen accountability journalism in Texas, allowing the participating newsrooms to collaborate on investigations that examine how state and federal actions are impacting local communities across the state.