Rio Grande Guardian

Rio Grande Guardian was founded in 2005 to provide an independent digital news source for Rio Grande Valley and the south Texas border region, and was the first online news outlet in the area. The outlet primarily publishes on its website and email newsletter, as well as on social media, and produces a regular podcast covering local issues. The Rio Grande Guardian also produces the Rio Grande Business Journals, and video products as R-G TV. Rio Grande Guardian’s coverage focuses on general local news for the Rio Grande Valley and the border, with a focus on government and politics, education, environment, health, immigration and border issues, and local arts and culture. The outlet also publishes local columns, opinions, and videos of live events, such as roundtable discussions and interviews with community leaders. The outlet publishes primarily in English, but also includes some coverage in Spanish, and aims to provide relevant reporting to the cross-border region. The outlet’s reporting has been shared and republished by national media outlets, and the publication was profiled by the Columbia Journalism Review. Rio Grande Guardian’s revenue streams include local advertising, sponsored content, audience support, and advertising on its video and social media channels. The publication initially launched with a subscription paywall, but has since removed that to provide free access to online coverage.