SJMC students’ Hill Country flood coverage published in the Austin American-Statesman
February 24, 2026
Elizabeth Hayek
Students of School of Journalism and Mass Communication saw their work reach a statewide audience last week when multiple stories from the Journalism Project course were published in the Austin American-Statesman.
The coverage focused on the long-term impact of the July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country. Over two weekends in October, students traveled to Kerrville, Hunt and Ingram to interview flood survivors, document recovery efforts and produce in-depth multimedia reporting.
Reporting Beyond the Statistics
Photo by Jennifer Merrill
The Journalism Project course, taught by faculty member Dino Chiecchi, was designed to move students beyond classroom exercises and into real reporting environments. Rather than assigning narrowly defined topics, Chiecchi outlined the broader mission. Cover the Hill Country floods and asked students to research to develop their own story angles.
“I wanted to tell stories that the national media had not told, In many cases, the national media focused on the numbers. We focused on the people."
Dino Chiecchi
Students conducted interviews under emotionally challenging circumstances, speaking with residents who had lost homes, livelihoods and, in some cases, family members. The experience required preparation, empathy and professionalism.
“We need to get them out in the field,” Chiecchi said. “I take them out into the field to do real work. And then I get them published”.
He described the course as a bridge between classroom instruction and newsroom expectations.
“I don’t believe that we should do stuff in the classroom and then wait for the internship to get real life experience,” he said. “We need a bridge and that’s what we’re doing”
Collaborative Reporting
The trips were structured as collaborative field assignments. Reporting students worked alongside photojournalism students, allowing teams to gather interviews, audio and photography simultaneously.
Published in the Austin American-Statesman work from multiple student journalists:
A Defining Learning Experience
For students, the project marked a professional milestone. Gretchen Butwid, who reported on the impact of the floods on a local RV park owner, said seeing her work in print was transformative.
“I’ve never seen my writing published in anything before, and so that was a really special feeling,” Butwid said. “It’s something that will help differentiate me from other people.”
Chiecchi said that distinction is intentional. The course is designed to provide students with publishable work that demonstrates professional readiness before graduation.
Photo of Student Megan Weise Interviwing Ryan Logue
Photo by Dino Chiecchi
Impact Beyond Campus
The publication of the flood coverage demonstrates how student reporting can contribute to public understanding.
The partnership with the Austin American-Statesman placed student journalism before a statewide readership and reinforced the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's commitment to community-centered storytelling.
From the Hill Country to the front page, SJMC students produced professional reporting and gained experience that extends well beyond the classroom.
Read the Published Stories
Below are PDF versions of the stories as published in the Austin American-Statesman, shared here to highlight our students’ published work.