Media News
5 new startups horn in on crowded Dallas-Fort Worth media scene
![stack of newspapers](https://fortworth.culturemap.com/media-library/stack-of-newspapers.jpg?id=27648448&width=2000&height=1500&quality=65&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Nostalgic image of stack of newspapers, a form of media popular in the 20th century.
Dallas-Fort Worth is already a media-rich town, with multiple newspapers, magazines, and online sites. But it's about to get richer in 2024, with expansions from local players as well as newcomers arriving and setting up shop.
Here's five new media startups happening in 2024:
Arlington Report
This is an Arlington spinoff of Fort Worth Report, the online local news site, which debuted in February, with stories such as "Arlington homeless people receive free showers, laundry, haircuts from nonprofit," as well as stories cloned from the FW original.
Fort Worth Report was founded in 2021 to cover "important topics" (their words) like local government, schools, business, environment, and health care. Their About Us page says they do not intend to replicate "traditional print and broadcast media perform functions … such as granular national and local sports reporting, comics, lifestyle features, and breaking crime news." Unimportant stuff.
And yet they did just introduce a newsletter described as "designed to inspire the ways you fill your leisure time." Called Weekend Worthy, it's a "curated calendar of events" for those "interested in exploring art galleries, enjoying live concerts, attending festivals or engaging in insightful panel discussions." Sounds lifestyles-y!
They've also partnered with travel operator Premier World Discovery to sell "travel experiences" across the globe, with a pitch session they held on May 21 at TWU.
FortWorthians101
In other Tarrant County news, Dallasites101, the influencer site known for hosting bar crawls and speed-dating nights, launched a Fort Worth version called FortWorthians101, as well as a Texas-wide site called Texans101.
Unlike Dallasites101 and Austinites 101, which have standalone websites, FortWorthians101 and Texans101 both seem to be entirely Instagram-based.
Ya Hala FM
An Arab-American radio station, Ya Hala FM, is launching in Dallas in summer 2024 with a mission to "share the beautiful music of the Arab world, celebrate the Arab-American culture, and reshape perceptions of our community in the U.S."
The station has posted help wanted ads for sales staff as well as on air talent: specifically, two people to host a morning show, called Dardasha. Applicants must have a knack for storytelling, charismatic/vibrant personality, and a positive outlook on life to help kickstart their soon-to-be listeners' mornings. "We're looking for music lovers, culture shapers, and boundary breakers who are ready to embark on this new journey," the ad says.
Additionally, applicants should have a degree in journalism, media studies, communications, or at least two years of work experience, and be fluent in English and Arabic. They must also be located in Dallas.
Courier Texas
National pro-democracy news network founded in 2019 is opening a bureau in Texas, and advertising for positions based in Dallas that include political reporter, operating/managing director, and a statewide social media manager, with a launch slated for summer 2024.
Courier's mission is to build a more informed and engaged America by providing factual, values-driven news, and analysis online. Their reporting is produced primarily for social media and online channels, with an emphasis on video, graphics, and skimmable newsletters.
Their CEO is Tara McGowan, who has worked in journalism and politics, mostly for Democratic candidates, as have a number of their staffers. To avoid spreading misinformation, they eschew the "both sides" approach followed by so many mainstream media sites under the guise of being "balanced."
They currently have outlets based in 10 states: Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
Amaré Magazine Texas
Quarterly print and digital magazine covering lifestyle, fashion, reality TV, celebrities, philanthropy, entertainment, events, arts & culture, cuisine, breaking news, and pop culture — phew, that's a lot! — is launching in Texas.
Their "about us" page says they debuted in L.A. in 2016. Their founder/CEO is George Rojas, a fashion/stylist expert, event producer, and according to his bio, former meth addict.
The mission: shine a light on artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses via a business model that allows professionals to expand their network, grow their social media, and work with advertisers and investors. Prior issues include "profiles" similar to the Voyage-type sites where the subjects write the profiles themselves.
Helping to launch in Texas is skincare doctor and "Bravo TV personality" James Mercer, and editor Lindsay Stevenson.
While short on experience, they're long on enthusiasm. They breezed through Texas in May, stopping at Dallas restaurant Bistro 31, as well as the Highland Park home of D’Andra Simmons and the Houston home of Theresa Roemer — the latter of whom will be on the cover of the first issue which they say will debut in August. They claim to also be launching an edition in New York.