5 Questions with Nancy Flores of Austin Vida

Tiny News Collective exists to support early-stage news entrepreneurs all across the United States who are raising their hands to provide community-focused news and information and places for community connection. We are who we are because of the founders we serve. And we want the journalism field, the civic information space and beyond to know about the creative, impactful work of these founders. To that end, we are thrilled to highlight their stories through an ongoing series of profiles and features.

For our latest feature, we caught up with award-winning journalist Nancy Flores, editor and publisher of Austin Vida, a digital news and culture site that amplifies, informs and celebrates the Latinidad of Austin with culturally competent news that centers the voices of nuestra gente (our people). Nancy talked about how she launched Austin Vida during the pandemic, the engagement she’s had in her community, and a heartfelt community essay series that ran in January. “Austin Vida is more than a publication; it's helping people know that they belong,” she said.

1. What's the origin story for Austin Vida and what made you start it?

In the midst of a global pandemic and the George Floyd protests, I saw how people were demanding change. I decided that the best way I could show up for my community was to turn a long-held dream into reality: bringing to life a publication that centered the voices of Austin's Latine community.

I took on the task of relaunching an online magazine that had ceased to publish for a few years and reimagined it for a new generation of bicultural Austinites, but this time as a solutions-based journalism news outlet.

2. Was there a particular moment when you felt that you had made a difference in your community with a story or feature that had an impact?

Every time I wonder what I got myself into by becoming a news entrepreneur, there is always someone in the community who sends me an email, comments on a social media post or says something to me at an event that lets me know that Austin Vida is necessary in our community. It's that motivation from the community that keeps me going and pushes me forward time and time again.

Austin Vida has had success with its monthly “Cultura Guide” to Latine arts and culture in Austin

We've heard feedback from our readers that our coverage has helped them feel more connected to their roots, more connected to Austin and to their family. In a recent reader survey, one subscriber described our Cultura Guides as “intentional and a safe space that’s connected to the local Latine community in Austin.”

Our Cultura Guides curate the best of Latine cultural arts in the city and were created in response to locals telling us that they didn’t often feel like they belonged in some Austin spaces or events. The guides also have helped people who are new to the city and didn’t know where to find community or events that resonated with them.

Another reader described our local news coverage as “community and an anti-monolithic expression of our culture.” That feedback is why we're determined to keep amplifying, informing and celebrating Latinidad through our coverage.

3. How have your partnerships, such as with local public media, helped you build your audience or brand?

Austin Vida has partnered with various local media outlets including our local PBS and NPR affiliates. It's important to us to evaluate each partnership to ensure that we are mission-aligned.

A social media promo for the Austin Cultura radio show

With Austin's NPR station KUT, we created a monthly radio show, Austin Cultura, together that focuses on Latine arts and culture. It has introduced Austin Vida to regular KUT listeners while also introducing our readers to KUT. Both of our audiences and brands have been uplifted by working together. We are co-publishing, cross-promoting coverage on social media and newsletters and are iterating along the way to improve both the partnership and the product.

We recently aired a radio show highlighting a beloved local muralist whose historical mural was recently demolished. We’re proud that our piece amplified the issue of what happens to the soul of a city when significant murals are erased.

Our partnership with the Austin PBS community journalism team called Decibel has led to two joint reporting projects: one focused on the devastating effects of heat islands in a predominantly Latine neighborhood and the changemakers trying to solve food desert issues in that same neighborhood. For this partnership, one Austin PBS video journalist paired with an Austin Vida digital journalist and teamed up to produce both a video news story and a written article. Both local video news stories were picked up by the nationally broadcast PBS Newshour.

Austin Vida in the community (Photos courtesy of Austin Vida)

4. How did the community essay series go in January? What are your plans for the spring event?

We kicked off 2025 with a My Austin Vida Community Essay Series, where we selected four Austinites to share a personal essay based on their local Latinidad experience through the lens of resilience. We featured one essay a week throughout the month of January and received a lot of positive feedback. These essays were vulnerable, heartfelt and resonated with our readers. They ranged on topics such as “Finding Enoughness in Being Biracial” to “When I Felt Like I Belonged Here.”

We received a micro-grant from the Reynolds Journalism Institute's Community Centered Symposium to help bring these stories to life with a community event. This spring, we plan to bring together the writers for a public community reading at a local bookstore so they can share their essays aloud and spark conversations about Latine identity.

5. What's your vision for Austin Vida and what it might become?

At the Recess for Revolution social justice event, Austin Vida distributed “Know Your Resources” cards based on its journalism. Pictured (left to right): Ben Perez, gente engagement specialist; Nicole Williams-Quezada, editorial intern; and Nancy Flores, editor & publisher. (Photo courtesy of Austin Vida)

We recently completed our first strategic plan, where we envision growing the Austin Vida team, launching new revenue streams and helping create a pipeline of Latine student journalists to help them break into journalism.

Through our community, cultural and mental health coverage, we are reaching readers in ways they hadn't experienced before. Austin Vida is more than a publication; it's helping people know that they belong.

Learn more about other TNC founders by reading these stories:

5 Questions with Julio Ricardo Varela of The Latino Newsletter

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