News – Texas Managing Editors

Time to Shine: Texas Journalism Awards Open for Entries

Posted on January 14, 2025January 14, 2025 by txme

It’s time to celebrate the best journalism and journalists of 2024!

Here’s what you need to know:

Updated Website: Head to the Texas Managing Editors (TME) (formerly Texas APME) / Headliners Excellence in Journalism Contest website for all the details: tmeawards.org.
Review the Rules: Be sure to read the contest entry rules, deadlines (entry fees due January 27th!), and payment requirements carefully. Entries without paid fees will not be considered.
Support a Great Cause. Your entry fees go towards two important initiatives:
- The annual TME conference, which offers journalists across the country insight into the latest industry developments
- The Buster Haas Minority Internship Program, which places interns at Texas newspapers for 10-week summer experiences. The program aims to increase diversity in newsrooms by providing valuable opportunities for aspiring journalists.
Opportunities for Your Newsroom:
- Newspapers interested in hosting an intern or those seeking more information about the program can contact us!
Save the Date!
- Join us for the annual convention and awards dinner in San Antonio on April 25-27th. Details coming soon at texasmanagingeditors.org.

We look forward to recognizing your outstanding work!

Enter the 2022 Texas AME contest

Posted on January 18, 2022December 7, 2023 by txme

The entry deadline for the 2022 Texas AME contest has been extended to Jan. 30. Enter here.

Register now for 2022 convention in Irving

Posted on January 18, 2022December 8, 2023 by txme

Registration is now open for our Texas APME convention in Irving April 29-May 1.

We’ve lined up a weekend of fun, food, fellowship, education and awards presentations for journalists across Texas.

The $250 registration fee pays for our costs to put on the convention, with the rest going to the Texas APME’s Buster Haas minority internship and scholarship program.

Make your reservations now at the NYLO in Irving by calling 972-373-8900 and ask for the Texas AME convention rate of $109 per night.

2022 Texas Association of Managing Editors contest rules

Posted on December 22, 2021December 8, 2023 by txme

Texas Association of Managing Editors/Headliners Excellence in Journalism Contest

It’s contest time again. Here are the deadlines, rules and categories for the 2022 Texas Association of Managing Editors/Headliners Excellence in Journalism Contest. Please take a close look because categories and descriptions have changed from 2021.

CONTEST PERIOD: Entries published between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, are eligible. Continuous series or projects that began in 2019 and conclude by the 11:59 p.m. Jan. 21, 2022 entry deadline are allowed.

DEADLINE: Entries must be uploaded electronically no later than 11:59 p.m., Jan. 21, 2022.

HOW TO ENTER: We require electronic filing for contest entries except for printed newspapers that are part of the Newsroom of the Year category. Except as specified in the category descriptions, entries may consist of the digital and/or print version of a story; both or either versions may be submitted. List staff members’ names as they should appear on awards.

Continue reading “2022 Texas Association of Managing Editors contest rules”

Texas Managing Editors announces final award winners for 2026 contest

Posted on April 26, 2026 by JJ Velasquez

Texas Managing Editors on Sunday announced its final winners and runners-up in the 2026 edition of the contest. Congratulations to the newsrooms recognized for their outstanding work last year. You can view first-round winners here and Star award winners here.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

1st Place: Josh Havard, Stacy Faison, Ruben Ibarra, Joel Andrews – Lufkin Daily News

2nd Place: Ronald W. Erdrich – Abilene Reporter-News

3rd Place: Dominic Villa – The Waco Bridge

1st Place: Priscilla Totiyapungprasert – El Paso Matters

2nd Place: Staff – Killeen Daily Herald

3rd Place: Daniel Gonzalez, Omar Ornelas, Jeff Abbott – El Paso Times

1st Place: Editorial Board – Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: Tony Plohetski, Kiah Collier – Austin American-Statesman

3rd Place: Tribune staff, Source New Mexico staff – The Texas Tribune

Honorable Mention: Austin American-Statesman, The Texas Tribune

DIANA R. FUENTES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

1st Place: Drew Shaw, Cecilia Lenzen – Fort Worth Report

2nd Place: Robert Moore – El Paso Matters

3rd Place: John Oliva – Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Honorable Mention: Priscilla Totiyapungrpasert – El Paso Matters

1st Place: R.A. Schuetz, Yilun Cheng and Matt Zdun – Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: Lexi Churchill, Ellis Simani – The Texas Tribune

3rd Place: Sue Ambrose, Chase Rogers, Jacob Quinn Sanders – The Dallas Morning News

Honorable Mention: Dug Begley, Octavia Johnson – Houston Chronicle

TEAM EFFORT

1st Place: Louis Amestoy, Jennifer Dean – Kerr County Lead

2nd Place: Ruben Ibarra Jr., Greg Weatherbee, Stacy Faison – Lufkin Daily News

3rd Place: Staff – The Daily Skiff, TCU

Honorable Mention: Staff – Baytown Sun

1st Place: Staff – El Paso Matters

2nd Place: Michael Rodriguez, Francisco E. Jimenez, Joel Martinez – MyRGV.com

3rd Place: Bob Francis, Nicole Lopez, Dave Montgomery, Scott Nishimura, Drew Shaw, Eric E. Garcia – Fort Worth Report

Honorable Mention: Laredo Morning Times, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

1st Place: Emily Foxhall, Alejandra Martinez, Zach Despart, Edison Wu, Carla Astudillo, Lexi Churchill, Chris Essig, Sneha Dey, Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Terri Langford and Paul Cobler – The Texas Tribune

2nd Place: Ella McCarthy, Alex Driggars, Tony Plohetski, Chaya Tong, Abby Church, Kiah Collier – Austin American-Statesman

3rd Place: Jason Buch, Benjamin Wermund, Matt Zdun – San Antonio Express-News, Houston Chronicle

Honorable Mention: Houston Chronicle

NEWSROOM OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Odessa American

2nd Place: Lufkin Daily News

3rd Place (tie): El Paso Inc., Kerr County Lead

1st Place: Fort Worth Report

2nd Place: El Paso Matters

3rd Place: El Paso Times

1st Place: Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: San Antonio Express-News

3rd Place: Austin American-Statesman

Texas Managing Editors announces Star award winners at 2026 convention

Posted on April 25, 2026April 26, 2026 by JJ Velasquez

Texas Managing Editors honors the top journalism across the state with its awards contest. Winners are announced throughout the annual conference, which is taking place April 25-27.

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Sean Gardner – Wichita Falls Times Record News

2nd Place: Josh Edwards – Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

3rd Place: Kent Miller – Greenville Herald-Banner

1st Place: Louis San Miguel – Laredo Morning Times

2nd Place: Jashlyn Sablan – Killeen Daily Herald

3rd Place: Seames O’Grady – The Galveston County Daily News

Honorable Mention: Savannah Williams – Corpus Christi Caller-Times

1st Place: Jeff Meddaugh – The Dallas Morning News

2nd Place: Tom Fox – Houston Chronicle

3rd Place: Adrian Alvarez – San Antonio Express-News

STAR BREAKING NEWS REPORT OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Robert Moore – El Paso Matters

2nd Place: Staff – El Paso Times

3rd Place: Robert Moore, Priscilla Totiyapungprasert – El Paso Matters

1st Place: Staff – San Antonio Express-News, Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: Staff – Fort Worth Star-Telegram

3rd Place: Sig Christenson – San Antonio Express-News

Honorable Mention: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News

STAR INVESTIGATIVE REPORT OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Ruben Ibarra Jr. – Lufkin Daily News

2nd Place: Reyes Mata III, Steve Escajeda – El Paso Inc.

3rd Place: Reyes Mata III – El Paso Inc.

1st Place: Diego Mendoza-Moyers – El Paso Matters

2nd Place: Cecilia Lenzen, Marissa Greene – Fort Worth Report

3rd Place: Ian Camacho – Temple Daily Telegram

Honorable Mention: San Antonio Report, Fort Worth Report, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

1st Place: Staff – The Dallas Morning News

2nd Place: Staff – Houston Chronicle

3rd Place: Mike Morris, Amelia Winger – Houston Chronicle

STAR ONLINE PACKAGE OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Andrea Drusch, Xochilt Garcia – San Antonio Report

2nd Place: Marissa Greene, Forrest Milburn, Maria Crane – Fort Worth Report

3rd Place: Staff – El Paso Times

Honorable Mention: Staff – El Paso Matters

1st Place: Jason Buch, Benjamin Wermund, Matt Zdun – San Antonio Express-News, Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: Staff – Houston Chronicle

3rd Place: Jaden Edison, Yuriko Schumacher, Suraj Thapa – The Texas Tribune

STAR OPINION WRITER OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Kent Miller – Greenville Herald-Banner

2nd Place: Josh Edwards – Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

3rd Place: Josh Havard – Lufkin Daily News

1st Place: Michael A. Smith – The Galveston County Daily News

2nd Place: Michael Morris – Clute, The Facts

3rd Place: Carlos A. Rodriguez – MyRGV.com

Honorable Mention: Dave Miller – Killeen Daily Herald

1st Place: Robert Wilonsky – The Dallas Morning News

2nd Place: Regina Lankenau – Houston Chronicle

3rd Place: Ryan Rusak – Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Honorable Mention: San Antonio Express-News, Austin American-Statesman

STAR PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Ronald W. Erdrich – Abilene Reporter-News

2nd Place: Ruben R. Ramirez – El Paso Inc.

3rd Place: Josh Edwards – Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel

1st Place: Delcia Lopez – MyRGV.com

2nd Place: Maria Crane – Fort Worth Report

3rd Place: Omar Ornelas – El Paso Times

1st Place: Chitose Suzuki – The Dallas Morning News

2nd Place (tie): Jason Fochtman – Houston Chronicle, Jay Janner – Austin American-Statesman

Honorable Mention: Jessica Phelps – San Antonio Express-News

STAR REPORTER OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Sam Shaw – The Waco Bridge

2nd Place: Reyes Mata III – El Paso Inc.

3rd Place: Kim Smith – Odessa American

1st Place: Olivia Garrett – Corpus Christi Caller-Times

2nd Place: Jeff Abbott – El Paso Times

3rd Place: Andrea Drusch – San Antonio Report

Honorable Mention: Fernando Del Valle – MyRGV.com

1st Place: Eric Dexheimer – Houston Chronicle

2nd Place: Tony Plohetski – Austin American-Statesman

3rd Place: Kate McGee – The Texas Tribune

Honorable Mention: Claire Ballor – The Dallas Morning News

CELESTE WILLIAMS STAR SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR

1st Place: Alex Miller – Bryan-College Station Eagle

2nd Place: Jonathan Hull – Wichita Falls Times Record News

3rd Place: Edwin Quarles – Lufkin Daily News

Honorable Mention: Paul Witwer – San Angelo Standard-Times

1st Place: Billy Woods – Laredo Morning Times

2nd Place: Dennis Silva – Clute, The Facts

3rd Place: Nathan Giese – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

1st Place: Brad Townsend – The Dallas Morning News

2nd Place: Danielle Lerner – Houston Chronicle

3rd Place: David Eckert – Austin American-Statesman

MICHAEL BRICK STORYTELLING AWARD

1st Place: Jeff Abbott – El Paso Times

2nd Place: Claire Ballor – The Dallas Morning News

3rd Place: Uriel Garcia – The Texas Tribune

Honorable Mention: Corey Greineisen – The Galveston County Daily News

El Paso's Boxing Wall of Fame COURTESY: Visit El Paso

Beyond the Headlines: Join Us in El Paso for the 2026 TME Convention

Posted on April 15, 2026April 15, 2026 by txme

Texas journalism has always been a high-stakes endeavor, but the challenges we face in 2026 — from navigating the AI frontier to reporting on the latest immigration news — require a new kind of leadership.

From April 24 to 26, the Texas Managing Editors are heading to El Paso for a weekend of rigorous professional development and the celebration of the best journalism and journalists in the state. We’re finalizing our schedule, and it’s a lineup you won’t want to miss.

The Highlights

Frontline Reporting: We’re getting out of the conference room and onto the streets with a Chartered Bus Tour, visiting sites that define America’s border policy.
Crisis Management: We’ll go behind the scenes of the Kerrville Flooding coverage to discuss leading newsrooms through environmental and community disasters.
The AI Blueprint: Featured speaker Ryan Serpico, deputy director of newsroom AI and automation for Hearst Newspapers, joins us for a deep dive into practical planning every editor needs to navigate the AI shift.
Legislative & Open Government Status Check: Get the latest updates on open government challenges and press freedoms in our “Ask a Lawyer” session.

The Convention Schedule

Friday, April 24: Arrive & Connect

6:30-8:30 PM: Opening Reception: Kick off the weekend with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
8:30 PM-Midnight: Hospitality Room: The networking continues late into the night.

Saturday, April 25: Visit the Frontlines

8:00 AM: Breakfast
8:50 AM: Welcome Remarks
9:00 AM: Trauma-informed Leadership: What a case study on Kerrville flooding coverage can show us about leading during crises.
11:15 AM: Awards Luncheon: Celebrating the first round of our state’s top honors.
1:00 PM: Immigration Reporting: A panel on where policy meets lived reality.
2:15 PM: Immigration Bus Tour: A guided tour of El Paso’s most significant frontline sites.
6:00 PM: Evening Reception & Silent Auction
7:00 PM: Awards Dinner & Live Auction: Join us as we toast the year’s most impactful journalism.

Sunday, April 26: The Future & The Final Honors

8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Big Tech, Big Stakes. Navigating the AI frontier for newsrooms.
10:15 AM: Guarding Press Freedoms. A legal legislative update and Q&A.
11:30 AM: Final Awards. The big reveal: Newsroom of the Year and Star of Stars Headliners winners.
1:00 PM: Closing Remarks & Adjourn

Register Now

Whether you’re here for the networking in the hospitality room or taking in the gritty reality of the border tour, this convention is about strengthening the connective tissue of Texas media.

Register here for the 2026 TME Convention in El Paso.

See you in the Sun City!