There is a new voice in Texas news: The Texas Tribune went live at midnight last night. But the Texas Tribune is not just a new source for news and information; it is a new model for multi-platform nonprofit news. In fact, CEO and Editor Evan Smith sees the Tribune as a new kind of “public media.” He wants the Texas Tribune to build community, to be a central hub for ideas and innovation in Texas, and to inspire citizens to engage in the world around them. It’s a big, bold project that has built upon the successes and failures of numerous other nonprofit journalism ventures.

I sat down with Evan Smith last week to talk about how the Texas Tribune is different from any other news site out there, and about the role journalists should play in fighting for the future of news.

Interview with Evan Smith, The Texas Tribune