Decibel Is Going To Rundberg

With our reporting winding down in the Dove Springs neighborhood, the Decibel team has been researching new communities to cover through our community-led journalism initiative. That neighborhood was selected on Wednesday night, when the Austin PBS Community Advisory Board selected the Rundberg neighborhood for Decibel’s next reporting project.

The Decibel team presented four potential locations for this next reporting cycle: Rundberg, Lockhart, Bastrop, and the Esperanza Community. Each area met Decibel’s parameters for being considered: all were areas that have been historically underserved by the media, or are areas where Decibel has not done extensive reporting in the past.

Map of potential reporting locations that the Decibel team presented to the Austin PBS Community Advisory Board.

But Lockhart and Bastrop also stood out because of their growth. Both areas are seeing an influx of people looking for more affordable housing. Lockhart finds itself trying to maintain its small-town charm while accommodating new residents. Bastrop is also facing unique challenges as resident tech entrepreneur Elon Musk starts moving more of his company’s headquarters to the area.

Esperanza community was a unique inclusion, in that it’s not a typical neighborhood. It’s an emergency shelter complex serving homeless individuals in crisis. Started by state officials in 2019, the site is now operated by The Other Ones Foundation. The organization has added tiny homes, hygiene facilities and a community center. Esperanza has also maintained low barriers to entry. Residents can stay with significant others, or keep pets with them, both options that are often unavailable at traditional shelters. In the next year they plan to add 100 new homes and start a job training program.

Rundberg shared some similarities to the other neighborhoods. The median family income was roughly the same (about $60,000 per year) and the demographics all showed lots of young families. But while all these areas contacted 211 looking for assistance with things like housing and food, Rundberg towered above the others in need. According to 211 data, it is one of the highest call volume areas in all of central Texas. From July to September of this year, Rundberg residents called 211 nearly four times more than Bastrop residents and about seven times more than Lockhart residents.

211 call volume for Rundberg, Bastrop and Lockhart for July, August and September of this year. This is the most recent data available from The United Way.

The CAB entered a spirited debate over which area to go to. Several attendees pointed out concerns they had heard from Bastrop residents about changes to the area. One member pointed out that the ties to Musk could generate further interest in Decibel’s reporting outside of central Texas. It prompted a question from one member: is the goal to increase online views, or create content for the community?

“Obviously we want to make stories that people watch, but the big thing is making stories that people who live there feel like we got right,” says Decibel senior multimedia reporter Blair Waltman-Alexin. “That’s our north star.”

Waltman-Alexin went on to outline how they plan to build the community input necessary for Decibel’s community journalism. The team will spend the next several weeks meeting with community members and finding out more about the areas from people with lived experience. They will also build a new Sounding Board, made up of community members, to give feedback on stories and provide input on projects. The team tried a similar approach in Dove Springs, and it provided insight that was integral to Decibel’s success in that community.

The CAB voted 15-3 to go to Rundberg. Three votes went to Bastrop. Lockhart and Esperanza garnered no votes. Members remarked that the data provided a powerful portrait of the area.

“If you look at the numbers, you can see the need,” one CAB member remarked.

Voting results from the Austin PBS CAB. Rundberg garnered 15 of 18 votes.

In the coming weeks, Decibel will dive into those needs, and the triumphs, in that community. New longform stories from Rundberg are expected to go up in January, but the team will be posting videos on social media beginning in December. In the meantime we’ll be working on creating our community Sounding Board and looking for opportunities to meet residents where they are.

Do you live or work in Rundberg? Are you interested in helping guide our reporting on this community? Click here to apply to our Sounding Board. Applications will be open through December.