In a market oversaturated with corporate media and for-profit journalism, the establishment of nonprofit news outlets — such as the Houston Landing — are a much-needed breath of fresh air.
With a stated mission of providing Houstonians with access to a non-partisan news outlet that is “devoted to public service journalism that seeks to strengthen democracy and improve the lives of all Houstonians one story at a time,” the Houston Landing offers an extensive collection of investigative pieces at no cost to the consumer.
The outlet — while in its infancy — bolstered a star-studded lineup during its inception. According to TexasMonthly, first hires included former Houston Chronicle Investigations Editor Mizanur Rahman who was hired as the Landing’s Editor-in-Chief, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Alex Stuckey, who became one of the Landing’s leading investigative journalists.
This dynamic duo helped found a result-delivering newsroom of seasoned journalists reporting on pressing issues within Houston’s many communities. According to the Washington Post, as the Landing’s staff grew to a size of 45 and regularly surpassed website traffic goals, many of the reporters who flocked to the Landing did so to work with Rahman.
This exciting growth led to the publishing of major investigative pieces that exposed a string of deaths in Texas prisons or helped initiate a Department of Justice lawsuit against a predatory housing development. This breakout success is seldom seen when it comes to new publications and is normally reserved for the Gray Ladies of news media. The stories produced by the Houston Landing are extremely important to the community they serve and help shine a light on issues that mainstream outlets may overlook.
Despite the publication’s early success and exceptional reporting, CEO of Houston Landing Peter Bhatia announced that the Landing had fired both Rahman and Stuckey — a decision which left much of the Landing’s newsroom “blindsided.” Stucky took to X after the announcement, stating “Today, as part of what the [Houston Landing] CEO called a company ‘reset,’ I was fired. This is not what I wanted. When I asked why, I was given no conclusive answer. I’m proud of the work we’ve done under [Rahman] and [John Tedesco] in the six months since we launched.”
This abrupt and surprising decision has called the publication’s future into question. While one can only speculate about the reasons behind the sudden staff switch-up, the loss of these two heavyweights gives these questions a lot of validity. However, since the firings, many of the Landing’s remaining staff have opted to unionize to strengthen worker protections and advocate for the interests of the staff in company-wide decisions. While the loss of Rahman and Stuckey may sting, the future may look bright for the Landing if it can survive its workplace woes that are not reserved for corporate newsrooms.
Independent, nonprofit news outlets are essential to the preservation of journalism. While the industry may be experiencing a radical shift in mediums at a time of declining readership, publications like the Houston Landing provide an essential service to their communities. The decision to fire Rahman and Stuckey was the wrong one. However, the Houston Landing must be preserved and its mission must be upheld.
