Texas Student Media

Texas Student Media In 1921 Texas Student Publications, Incorporated was established and acquired the responsibility of controlling the publications.

TSM is composed of several media properties: The Daily Texan newspaper, the humor magazine Texas Travesty, Cactus Yearbook, KVRX 91.7 FM, BurntXOrange, TSTV, The Drag Audio, Texas Connect, Bevo Video Productions, and Tower & Bridge Communications. Beginning in 1894 with the first volume of the Cactus, and followed shortly thereafter in 1900 with the first issue of The Texan, the University of Texa

s at Austin established two of its earliest student publications. TSP was incorporated for 50 years, until the end of its charter in 1971. At that time, TSP was established as an auxiliary enterprise of the university, falling under the umbrella of student affairs. In the years that followed, TSP acquired several additional media units. While many of these subunits came and went, a total of five remain today: The Daily Texan, Cactus Yearbook, KVRX-FM, Texas Student TV, and the Texas Travesty. Beginning with the adoption of KVRX Radio in the late 1980s, the scope of TSP began to reach much further than "publications." For this reason, the Board elected to change the name of Texas Student Publications to Texas Student Media (TSM). It is believed that "Texas Student Media" will much more accurately represent the full extent of the organization's services.

Texas Student Television has partnered with media powerhouse Rooster Teeth to create the Rooster Teeth Student Innovator...
04/18/2025

Texas Student Television has partnered with media powerhouse Rooster Teeth to create the Rooster Teeth Student Innovator Award. Each spring semester, one deserving TSTV student will be selected to win $2,500 for their creativity and outstanding media production.

This year, winner Mauricio Dzierwa was selected for his excellent content creation on the show “Sneak Peek.” Mauricio met with Rooster Teeth owner and TSTV alum Burnie Burns while in the facility for an exclusive interview with TSTV’s station manager Ryan Ranc.

Stay tuned to instagram.com/texasstudenttv for the full-length episode coming soon!

A decade of success 🤘
04/18/2025

A decade of success 🤘

Gerald A. Johnson, former Director of Texas Student Media, has been selected as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Friends of The Daily Texan, just the second time the award has been given since the group’s founding in 2013.
“What Gerald has done in his 11 years leading Texas Student Media is legendary. He and his team have produced 11 straight years of profit in a media world that has an overall dismal balance sheet,” said a statement from Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. “That is completely unheard of in the student media world, and also in the mainstream media award.”
The award was presented April 4 at the annual Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame gathering on the UT campus. Supporters of The Texan gathered to recognize the student newspaper’s 125th anniversary and to meet a new group of 13 scholarship winners, 8 Hall of Fam members and 3 Rising Star winners.
The only other recipient of the award is legendary UT professor and Daily Texan supporter Griff Singer, who received the award in 2014.
Gerald last year moved to a new role as Executive Director for Innovation and Partnerships in the Dean’s Office of Moody College of Communication.
Gerald moved to Moody after a stellar career in revenue generation at the Houston Chronicle. He and his team have brought top-tier industry standards to TSM and The Texan, mixed with enthusiasm and vigor that matches the enthusiasm and vigor of student journalists.
“What he has done is ground-breaking in the sense that he and his team have put in place the framework for a healthy financial picture for the future for The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media,” said John Reetz, president of Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc.
“Sure, there is still lots of work to be done every year and no media outlet’s future is assured; the public is finicky, easily distracted and ever-changing. But TSM and The Daily Texan are in a very good place, as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of The Texan.
“Those of us who have labored in newsrooms for many decades know the siege mentality that can set in, and it is frequently only broken by the thrill of a great story or success . Gerald exudes an aura that keeps people engaged and organized, working through the challenges to success,” Reetz added.
Gerald, who is usually quick on his feet, was at a loss for words when called to the stage for the presentation.
Below is a thoughtful ‘thank you” he sent following the event.

Dear Friends of The Daily Texan,
I’ve been reflecting on Friday night’s celebration—and I’m still struggling to find the words to properly express how honored I am to have received the Lifetime Achievement Award. It means more than I can say, especially coming from this group—people who understand exactly what it takes to keep The Daily Texan strong, independent, and thriving.
In the moment, I was genuinely so surprised and moved that I didn’t get to properly thank you all. Please allow me to do that now.
To be recognized by the Friends of The Daily Texan—a group of dedicated alumni who continue to give back through mentorship, advocacy, and financial support—humbled me deeply. You’ve been there throughout the years as champions, sounding boards, and friends, helping me navigate both the bureaucracy of the university and the ever-evolving challenges of the media landscape. Your camaraderie has made all the difference.
I want to especially thank John Reetz, whose leadership as President of the Friends group has been nothing short of extraordinary. Through this experience, John has become a dear friend. Our weekly check-ins have been a grounding and joyful part of my routine, and I’m grateful beyond words for his partnership and friendship.
Back in 2014, when Jeff Cohen—then Executive Editor of the Houston Chronicle—tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You’re the perfect person for this job,” I honestly didn’t even know a job like this existed. But out of respect for Jeff, I applied. It wasn’t until I met with the student leaders of the Texan and other outlets that I realized I had to do it. Their commitment to journalism, and the state of turmoil the organization was in, lit a fire in me. I knew I wanted to fight for their freedom to report, cover, and entertain the UT community without compromise.
That mission has carried me through the past 11 years, and I’ve had the immense privilege of doing that work with an incredible team at Texas Student Media—including the remarkable folks who help bring this event to life each year: Frank Serpas, Emily Cohen, Marlies Arevalo, Will Parchman, Jason Lihuang, Peter Chen and Tillie Policastro.
These are the people who make the day-to-day not only possible, but meaningful:
• Emily, who—along with John—brings this annual event to life with precision and care.
• Tillie, whose eye for design makes every piece of material beautiful.
• Jason, who ensures every aspect of the presentation runs smoothly.
• And all of them—and the entire TSM team—who are fiercely dedicated to supporting our students and championing their work.
I’d also like to acknowledge my colleagues at the Moody College of Communication especially Interim Dean Anita Vangelisti, Senior Associate Dean Cassandre Alvarado, Development Director Sam Provenzano, and Assistant Directors Sara Abrams and Keefe Boerner. Moody’s longtime support of this event—and of Texas Student Media’s essential role in it—makes it all possible, and better every year.
Lastly, I couldn’t write this message without recognizing the incredible Griff Singer. Griff’s name comes up more than any other when former students share memories of their time at The Daily Texan. As both a former student and a longtime advisor, he shaped generations of journalists with his wisdom, wit, and fierce dedication to the craft. His influence is lasting, his impact immeasurable, and his legacy lives on in every student who found their voice under his guidance. To be honored with an award that follows in Griff’s footsteps is deeply humbling—and one of the greatest honors of my career.
Together, with your support, we’ve kept Texas Student Media and The Daily Texan solvent, growing, and profitable for 11 straight years. That’s no small feat—and it’s something I’ll always be proud of.
Thank you, sincerely, for this honor. And thank you for everything you’ve done—and continue to do—to ensure the legacy and future of The Daily Texan remain strong.
With gratitude and admiration,
Gerald

We're incredibly grateful for Friends of the Texan's support of our students at The Daily Texan! Very deserving winners!
04/18/2025

We're incredibly grateful for Friends of the Texan's support of our students at The Daily Texan! Very deserving winners!

Thirteen Daily Texan staffers received cash grant awards totaling $23,500 at the annual Hall of Fame event on April 4.
The Friends of The Daily Texan began awarding the grants in 2018, funding one grant for $1,500. Since then, with the support of Daily Texan alums, the grants have steadily increased in number and value.
These are this year’s award-winning staffers.

Diego Hernandez — $1,000 Bill Mintz Outstanding Reporting Award
Diego is a journalism freshman who has already moved up to become a senior news reporter covering national and campus events.

Trisha Dasgupta — $1,000 Middy Randerson Life and Arts Award
Trisha is a junior majoring in journalism and rhetoric and writing, and she’s also a Moody Honors student. Trisha heads the projects department after seven semesters at The Texan.

Alexa Zimmermann — $1,000 Friends of The Texan Award Finalist
A studio art and art history senior, Alexa has spent seven semesters in the comics department and currently presides as the comics editor.

Tenley Jackson — $1,000 Friends of The Texan Award Finalist
Graduating in 2026, Tenley is studying Plan II and journalism while leading as an associate opinion editor. She has spent nine semesters at The Texan.

Lorianne Willett — $1,500 Jerry and Becky Conn Scholarship Award
Lorianne is in her 10th semester at The Texan, and she’s a journalism senior currently working as an associate photo editor.

Alyssa Ramos — $1,500 Faculty Recognition Award
Alyssa is a journalism senior and the current copy desk chief. In her 10 semesters, she’s held positions including Texan en Español translator.

Breyona Mitchell — $1,500 Faculty Recognition Award
Breyona is an English and studio art senior and has spent 11 semesters at The Texan. She is now serving as the associate comics editor.

Meaghan English — $2,500 Kirk and Vicki Bohls Sports Journalism Award
Meaghan is the sports editor and has been with The Texan for five semesters. She will graduate with her journalism and sports media degree in May 2027.

Kylee Howard — $2,500 A. R. “Dick” Elam Award
Kylee is a journalism junior studying history and Spanish. She has been with The Texan for seven semesters now, first in news and projects, then in management.

Athena Tseng — $2,500 S. Griff Singer Award
Athena, director of digital strategy, is a journalism major graduating in 2027. Besides her five semesters at The Texan, she interns at UT Computer Science.

Maryam Ahmed — $2,500 Rene and Jimmy Wisch Award
After four semesters, journalism sophomore Maryam is currently a news desk editor. While a senior news reporter, she and Naina Srivastava won first place in College Media Association’s Best Coverage of Faith.

Aaron Sullivan — $2,500 Lynne Dobson and Greg Wooldridge Photojournalism Award
Aaron is an associate managing editor and has also worked in the photo department in his eight semesters at The Texan. He’s a junior studying journalism and theater.

Vivien Ayers — $2,500 Friends of The Texan Award Winner
Vivien has spent six semesters at The Texan and is the current news editor. She is a journalism and sustainability studies junior.

At TSM, there are roles for all students, including software engineers! 👨‍💻The KVRX 91.7 web team meets Wednesdays at 4 ...
04/17/2025

At TSM, there are roles for all students, including software engineers! 👨‍💻

The KVRX 91.7 web team meets Wednesdays at 4 p.m. during the school year to maintain and upgrade kvrx.org, which is where you can find the radio station’s online stream, event coverage, reviews and much more. The team is currently led by Mayra Sanchez, a UT Computer Science junior who’s also a DJ hosting the show “something cool.”

“It’s all easily accessible,” Mayra says. “The learning curve isn’t super large. There is a curve, but I feel like we have a lot of people around us who are willing to guide us in the right direction.”

Her team this semester includes Renzo Montgomery, a Chandra Family Dept of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UT Austin freshman, Harsh*tha Sriramoju, a statistics and data science sophomore at the College of Natural Sciences, UT Austin, and Ariel Gallegos, a Texas Advertising & Public Relations freshman.

“The culture — it’s very much laid-back,” Harsh*tha says. “Getting here was such a different pace, and honestly, I needed that.”

Some of the languages, tools and programs they work with include AWS, Python, Django, React, HTML, CSS, PostgreSQL and Vercel, among others. They use Postman for API testing, which Renzo says is an open-source software that “you just can’t beat.”

“Get rid of gatekeeping in the CS community,” Mayra says. “Open source is really the way to go. Community, guys. We win as a community.”

KVRX Web’s favorite songs:

“Bag Lady” — Erykah Badu
“Feelin’ Myself” — Mac Dre
“Dontcha” — The Internet

If you aren’t a current member of TSM and would like to get involved in a meaningful way, our at-large student board mem...
04/08/2025

If you aren’t a current member of TSM and would like to get involved in a meaningful way, our at-large student board member position is open! Apply before April 15.

The Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees typically meets up to seven times per year, usually on Friday afternoons; the term of office begins in June and lasts two years. Salient duties of the board include approval of the annual TSM budget and selection of the student managers of TSM’s media units (except for the Daily Texan editor-in-chief). Full details in the link below.

APPLY HERE: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnWBJVQUWH9c0Wa

04/08/2025

Check out today’s comics page from the Texan comics department!

🎨: Gaby Hernandez, Jarden Patel, Angela John

04/08/2025
04/01/2025
04/01/2025

Happy Tuesday, Longhorns! In today’s issue:

+ Texas women's basketball is headed to the Final Four tournament for the first time in 22 years
+ UT and Tecnológico de Monterrey will launch the OriGen Health Research Center, which will focus on studying health disparities that affect Latino communities
+ UT Campus Events + Entertainment hosted the Forty Acres Fest on Saturday

All this and more: https://thedailytexan.com/2025/03/31/dt-4-1-2025/ #1

04/01/2025
⭐ TSM Student Spotlight: Tanvi Gupta ⭐Today we’re highlighting Tanvi Gupta, editor-in-chief of our humor publication Tex...
04/01/2025

⭐ TSM Student Spotlight: Tanvi Gupta ⭐

Today we’re highlighting Tanvi Gupta, editor-in-chief of our humor publication Texas Travesty! Tanvi is a double major in biochemistry and government, and she’s graduating this semester. In her free time, you can find her at Mozart’s or watching her all-time favorite show, “Portlandia.”

These are her three favorite emojis: 🫡🖇️🫧

In honor of April 1, we’re presenting a brief Q&A so that you can learn more about Tanvi and working at the Travesty.

Q: Tell us about the most recent edition of the Travesty and what went into making it.

A: Our National Geographic issue is everything the Travesty knows about nature, and some other stuff. We typically spend one to two weeks pitching and one week designing.

Q: What are some unique challenges you face overseeing a humor publication?

A: Balancing what the Travesty members like to make and what our audience wants to see from us.

Q: How do you determine if something is funny?

A: If I laugh.

Q: What are some of your favorite works to make it out of the Travesty?

A: Our September 2024 Back to School Issue is one of my favorites both in writing and design!

Q: What does the work you do with Travesty mean to you?

A: Meeting so many talented and funny people has been the most rewarding part.



If you are interested in joining the Travesty or any other one of our entities, go to participatetsm.com for our interest form or visit texasstudentmedia.com to learn more about our opportunities.

03/13/2025
So incredibly proud of the hardworking students at The Daily Texan! Texas women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer gav...
03/10/2025

So incredibly proud of the hardworking students at The Daily Texan! Texas women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer gave them a big shout-out after the SEC Championship for driving 16 hours to cover the entire game. The video clip is linked in the story below.

"I'm proud that you guys are here, and I'm proud that you take enough pride in your job that you would do that because you don't have to do that."

Texas women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer put a spotlight on a group of student journalists who put in overtime for the Longhorns' SEC Tournament run.

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