Framed on my office wall is a relic from the digital Stone Age – a check for $22.64, dated Dec. 18, 1997, our first-ever online revenue. It was signed by Wil Gerken, the man behind DesertNet, who’s been hosting our website since it was turned live as auschron.com. But this past May, Wil dropped a bombshell: He’s closing up shop, giving us just a few months to find a new digital home and haul over nearly 30 years of archives.
We were pointed to Newspack, a WordPress-based platform many other publications use, including Texas heavy-hitters the San Antonio Current, Dallas Voice, Texas Tribune, and the Austin Monitor. Led by our Systems Administrator, Brandon Watkins – whom I’ll call valiant – we’ve had a sweaty, coffee-fueled summer of change here at the Chronicle. What you find online now is the result.
Our mission? A site that’s easier to navigate, loads faster, and has better search to help you find that one cover story from a few weeks ago, or that perfect taco place on the east side, or that column by your favorite writer. A site that comes with enhanced reader-friendly features – like the ability to submit your own event and club listings to our calendar. A site that’s more 2025 than 2005. We’re still getting cozy with all the new bells and whistles, so bear with us as we settle in. If you have feedback or need help navigating, let us know by emailing webmaster@austinchronicle.com.
Thanks for being a reader and sticking with us through this reboot.
– Austin Chronicle Publisher Cassidy Frazier (October 1, 2025)