Assignment Four - Hometown Hard News

 Hometown Hard News

Growing up in a big city, news wasn't spread by word of moth like you see in those cute small town shows. We had to go out and get the news paper or turn on the TV to find out what was happening around the city. As Austin Texas is the capital of Texas, their local news is often times a little bit broader than to be expected. The Austin American Statesman is the main source for local hard news that I receive, and while it hits everything it needs to close to home, we also find out what is going on, that is noteworthy at least, across the state!

Monday September 7th, Governor Greg Abbott  extended the state disaster declaration as the Corona Virus still lingers around the state. Abbott felt that "renewing this Disaster Declaration helps ensure that [they] have the resources and strategies in place to help communities across Texas respond to COVID-19" and he "[urged] Texans to take precautionary steps to protect their health by wearing a mask, social distancing, and sanitizing their hands [...]". This kind of news is something that the public needs to know right away, and the statesman sent it out, as soon as the announcement was made. While this news isn't specific to Austin Texas, the capital is often found reporting the political movement and announcements coming from the city.

If its local news you're searching for, Corona Virus updates for Travis county have just been released. With a total of 26,969 cases overall within the county there is an "estimated 25,755 recoveries." This weeks report was a positive one as there had only been roughly 40 new reported cases and zero new deaths, it appears that the curve is definitely slowing down for the Austin area. These local reports keep the community in the know and provide much needed information as we all have many questions attempting to brave this pandemic.

Local news sources are so important to the community, for they are often times the only way to find out what is going on right in your hometown. Austin stays up to date on the coverage of their hard news by providing political updates as they arise in the capital and sending out reports of the local coronavirus numbers. While this information may seem repetitive, and not as fun as the local police chase on Saturday, the hard news is what affects the whole community, and it is always changing. When was the last time you checked in on your hometown hard news?