Texas Student Media

07/02/2025

Gov. Greg Abbott passed Texas House Bill 27 on June 20, which will require all students entering 9th grade during the 2026-27 school year and after to take a one-semester personal financial literacy course. Texas is the 29th state to require this course nationwide, which aims to provide students with the financial knowledge necessary for life after high school.

https://thedailytexan.com/2025/07/01/texas-becomes-29th-state-to-require-personal-financial-literacy-class-for-high-schoolers/

07/02/2025

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

🎨: Juliana Penna Brandao, Jaiden Patel, Clara Webb

06/09/2025

⭐ TSM Alum Spotlight: Mary Dougherty ⭐

Mary Dougherty, the 2024-25 KVRX 91.7 station manager, recently graduated at the end of Spring 2025 with a UT Rtf Austin degree from the Moody College of Communication - UT Austin! Under her leadership, KVRX was able to put on a highly successful 30th birthday party, surpass its 2024 fundraising goal of $10,000, and send students to SXSW, ACL, Austin Psych Fest, LEVITATION and more.

“TSM’s orgs are serious about being student-run,” Dougherty said. “I didn’t just get hands-on experience, but at times it was JUST students’ hands putting on events and shows and such. It’s a big responsibility to be a part of a TSM org, but it has given me opportunities no other entity would have ever.”

Her plans now that she’s finished college? Work in entertainment.

“Someone should really hire me. I always say I don’t know what to do because I love it all. I LOVE seeing so many companies pushing marketing/partnership barriers when promoting a new movie or tour, and I need to be a part of that.”

Here are three albums that are required listening to become her friend:
“Pure Heroine” by Lorde
“Melodrama” by Lorde
“Solar Power” by Lorde

Here are her three favorite emojis: 🌟🐢☘️

06/09/2025

Texas softball won its first-ever national championship in program history on Friday in a 10-4 victory over Texas Tech after losses in the 2022 and 2024 Women’s College World Series finals. Sophomore ace Teagan Kavan was named MVP, while senior utility Mia Scott secured the win with a grand slam in her final game despite playing with a torn ACL.

https://thedailytexan.com/2025/06/07/texas-softball-wins-programs-first-ever-national-championship/ #

06/04/2025

🚨 Breaking news 🚨 Our team brought home two new cars yesterday! Thank you to for Supporting Student Voices at UT Austin with a brand-new Mazda CX-90 and Mazda CX-50. Our students now have safe, reliable transportation for client video shoots, out-of-state sports championships and so much more.

Mazdanators rise up!!! Make some noise for Roger Beasley in Austin for making our transportation dreams come true with our new cars!

05/23/2025

An incredible story on one of our alumni!

Bill Mintz graduated from Moody College of Communication decades after first stepping onto the Forty Acres.

Austin in the ’70s was buzzing with history in the making: Vietnam War protests, the newly minted 18-year-old vote and political upheaval. Journalism felt electric with purpose. All this as a young Mintz walked into Journalism 322 at The University of Texas at Austin—taught by the legendary Griff Singer—and found himself swept up in the fast-paced, boots-on-the-ground world of The Daily Texan.

“There was no shortage of stories,” Mintz said. “And expectations were high.”

That pressure cooker of a newsroom gave Mintz the foundation for what would become a long and successful career in journalism, writing for major outlets like The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, with stints in both Texas and Washington, D.C. But despite the bylines and accolades, one thing lingered in the back of his mind for decades: he never officially earned his degree.

“Not finishing my degree was a regret,” he admitted. “It didn’t hold me back professionally, but it always stayed with me—it was personal.”

His return to the Forty Acres didn’t begin with a quest for closure, but with a gift: a $250,000 donation to the Texas Student Media Excellence Fund—the largest individual alumnus contribution in the organization’s history.

Learn more about Bill Mintz's journey:
https://moody.utexas.edu/news/bill_mintz

05/13/2025

05/12/2025

2024-25 was a movie 😌

Thank you to all the students who participated! You all make Texas Student Media amazing. Here are some of your accomplishments this school year.

The Daily Texan celebrated its 125th anniversary in October! This year, they covered many breaking news events, from national elections to the Student Government election. Throughout the process, they won 12 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards and made it into TIME's Top 100 Photos of 2024. Three DT journalists were recognized nationally when head coach Vic Schaefer thanked them for showing up to the women’s basketball SEC championship.

KVRX 91.7 celebrated their 30th birthday with a giant party, and they threw many other successful and sold-out shows! In addition to covering SXSW, they held two unofficial showcases. They also had a renewed focus on bringing in industry speakers from the likes of UMG, LEVITATION and C3. KVRX garnered TWO Austin Music Award nominations from Austin Chronicle for Best Radio Station and Most Creative Event. Don’t forget about their zine!

TSTV won best entertainment show at the CBI awards with “Video Game Hour Live.” Their news department launched a revamped website and newsletter to publish breaking news better than ever before! TSTV achieved its first video with 1 million views thanks to a “Sneak Peek” interview with Aaron Paul. One deserving staffer won $2,500 in the inaugural Rooster Teeth Student Innovator Award, and founder Burnie Burns came in for an interview.

Texas Travesty had multiple viral moments, with more than 320,000 interactions on social media in Spring 2025. They’ve managed to increase their campus presence significantly while distributing their six print issues of the school year. Furthermore, they worked to cover SXSW and Moontower Comedy Festival.

The Cactus Yearbook released its 2025 edition ahead of schedule. It’s available now at buytsm.com! Initiatives this year include an internal newsletter, increased social media focus and staff socials.

The Drag Audio released another season of its hit podcast “Darkness” to great fanfare. More releases include the “Howdy and Hook ‘Em” football rivalry podcast collaboration with A&M, new episodes of “Forsaken” on social issues in Texas and many more — including client work.

BurntXOrange recently published its first official print edition! To complement their lifestyle and pop culture musings, they shifted attention to breaking campus news this semester as well.

Tower & Bridge Communications is closing out its first full school year with TSM. They’ve completed several campaigns with returning and new clients, and they’ve welcomed guest speakers to their group from Giant Noise, Zilker Media and Amazon Ads.

Bevo Video Productions’ partnership with Athletics allows students to get hands-on experience producing coaches’ shows and other projects. Client projects with campus and state partners offer additional opportunities for students to gain experience in a wide variety of video production settings.

Student writing, photography and design interns contributed to another two issues of Texas Connect. The magazine continues to be circulated in print and digitally to the 20,000-plus faculty and staff members on campus, sharing the stories of their colleagues.

And finally, students in the central TSM sales and marketing office have been behind the scenes generating revenue with ad sales, helping run our events (Marketplace and Career Expo, anyone?), running our influencer program, designing ads and publications … and making social media posts such as this one.

Whether you’re saying goodbye, taking a break, or staying right here to keep things running, we hope you have a great summer! We can’t wait for 2025-26.

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Would you like to help future students at TSM thrive? Consider supporting our programs at supportstudentvoices.org. All gifts to the new Texas Student Media Excellence Fund will be matched!

05/09/2025

⭐ TSM Student Spotlight: Ryan Ranc ⭐

For our last Student Spotlight of the school year, we sat down with station manager Ryan Ranc to chat about his experience working at Texas Student TV. A Radio Television Film - UT Austin senior (graduating this week!), he’s also an account executive in TSM’s marketing and sales office and was a longtime film columnist at The Daily Texan.

We touch on how TSTV has changed, his advice for students interested in joining, and a The Onion sponsorship that Ryan was able to secure in his TSM sales role.

What’s next for Ryan? He’s moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career in film and TV while continuing to edit for famous YouTubers. We’ll be keeping an eye out for his future projects. Congratulations, Ryan!

⭐ TSM Student Spotlight: Ryan Ranc ⭐For our last Student Spotlight of the school year, we sat down with station manager Ryan Ranc to chat about his experienc...

04/30/2025

The 2025 edition of the Cactus Yearbook is here! If you haven't ordered one yet, what are you waiting for? Only $55 at BUYTSM.COM!

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!

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