Remember how, earlier this week, we mentioned that Austin venture capitalist John Thornton was starting an online newspaper, the intention of which is to cover Texas and specifically Austin? Well, now we know who the CEO of that paper's gonna be: none other than Texas Monthly's president and editor-in-chief Evan Smith, who today announced to his staff via a memo now on Romensko that he's taking over as CEO of Texas Tribune:
As John has been telling anyone who will listen, the Texas Tribune will publish original news reporting online (much like ProPublica) and put on conferences, conversation series, and other on-the-record, open-to-the-public events (much like the Aspen Institute). For nearly a year I've been helping John refine his concept for the Trib, and I've suggested various people he might hire. At some point along the way, like Dick Cheney leading the search for George Bush's vice president and concluding that he was the one he was looking for, I came to believe that perhaps I should join John in a more formal capacity, and he came to believe it too. So in mid-August, when all of you are moving bins and boxes into the University Park development, I'll be schlepping my accumulated possessions around the corner, into the Chase Bank building, to begin work the following week as the CEO of the Texas Tribune.Hey, Evan, we're on good terms these days, right? Just checkin'. No reason.
