fbpx

Who we are

The Austin Bulldog is the premiere investigative journalism outfit in Central Texas.

Launched in 2010, the Bulldog has become a trusted independent voice for government accountability, known for its incisive, in-depth coverage of local elections and local government agencies.

Why we're different

In-depth

We specialize in investigative and expository journalism, with a particular focus on local government.

Community-Supported

We conduct an annual fundraising campaign and are supported by hundreds of ordinary Austinites.

Original

You won't find our content anywhere else. We report it and write it ourselves.

Hard-Hitting

We don’t pander to government officials or shy away from stories just because they’re controversial.

Experienced

Our newsroom consists of veteran journalists with decades of experience. That helps us know where to dig and what questions to ask.

Groundbreaking

For more than a decade the Bulldog's reporting has shaped civic discourse and public policy, resulted in criminal prosecutions, and enlightened voters about candidates' records.

Meet our dedicated

Team

Ken Martin

Founder, editor and publisher

Ken got interested in journalism while a career officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. After serving more than 20 years on active duty, including a tour in Vietnam, he completed his career as a major and moved to Austin in 1978 to earn a humanities degree with a minor in journalism at the University of Texas.

Today Ken may be the only living journalist who has worked full-time for publications located in the three major counties of the Austin metropolitan area: Travis, Williamson and Hays. He has been a reporter and editor in the tri-county area since 1981, including associate editor of Third Coast magazine (1981-84), managing editor and janitor of the Dripping Springs Dispatch (1984-85), and county and political editor of the Williamson County Sun (1986-89).

His aggressive reporting twice garnered first-place national awards for investigative reporting. Both of those projects resulted in successful criminal prosecutions. In launching The Austin Bulldog, Ken returned to his roots in investigative reporting, primarily covering the public sector.

Ken was an investigative reporter for the Austin Business Journal 1989-1990 and served as editor 1990-1994, a period in which the newspaper won numerous awards for journalistic excellence. In 1995, he started the In Fact weekly newsletter covering Austin City Hall and local politics. Beginning in 1998, while still publishing In Fact, he also owned and edited Texas Public Utility News for 13 months, producing a twice-monthly newsletter covering the Texas Public Utility Commission. In 1999, Ken began publishing the In Fact newsletter five days a week, making it In Fact Daily, Austin’s first online newsletter. He sold In Fact Daily in 2000 and, after several changes in ownership, today it continues publication as the Austin Monitor.

Meanwhile, in 1997, Rebecca Melançon and Ken founded The Good Life magazine, which he edited for more than 11 years. The magazine published numerous special reports, including five in 2008 alone, before ceasing publication in January 2009 due to the economy.

After the magazine folded Ken won a “New Voices” grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to start The Austin Bulldog, which began online publication in April 2010.

Lydia Walker

Reporting Intern

Lydia Walker is the newest addition to The Austin Bulldog, working as a reporting intern. She is currently pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Texas.Growing up, Lydia loved writing stories but when the time came she opted for a safe career path in the nursing field. Burnt out and uninspired and more than half way through college, she switched majors to journalism and hasn’t looked back.Lydia has been navigating her time as a cub reporter by attending city council meetings and familiarizing herself with agenda topics.

How You Can Help

Journalism doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens in a community.

  • Sign up for our emails - We'll typically email you once or twice a week
  • Blow the whistle - Send us a news tip or suggestion
  • Spread the word - Tell a friend or neighbor about the Bulldog and share our content on social media.
  • Comment on our articles - Join the conversation!