Tonight at 6:30 pm at the Statesman building, Hacks/Hackers will host a panel and open discussion on integrating tech skills and shortcuts into the communications sector. Four recent grads will form a panel on their Austin positions and how tech helped them land their spots and the challenges it presents. Speakers are from The Statesman, Austin Post, Texas Tribune and Facebook so they should cut a wide swath of experience and offer some valuable insight into the local communications and publications scene. Hacks/Hackers is a group that looks to connect and educate writers and programmers to help to better integrate the two. So far this event has no food sponsers, so maybe bring a sandwich. more ›

In a move that puts it into competition with group-buying discount programs like Groupon and LivingSocial, the Statesman's parent company, Cox Media Group, plans to launch its own buying site in the next few weeks. DealSwarm will soon be available in Austin, Atlanta, Dayton and Seattle, and promises discounts of 50 percent or more on local dining, entertainment and other services. You can sign up now at DealSwarm.com to receive daily alerts once the program begins. “The Statesman Co. is excited to be a player in the growing deal-of-the-day market,” said Publisher Michael Vivio. more ›

The Statesman.com and Austin360.com website got a new look today. At the center of the redesign is a display that rotates throughout the top stories of the day and offers both photos and video. There are a few behind-the-scenes changes that should make the sites easier to use. Search functionality has been updated to include results from both Statesman.com and Austin360.com, and the commenting functions allow more options for social media, filtering and reporting abuse. more ›

Like every other newspaper trying to stay solvent in the face of declining advertising sales, the Austin American-Statesman is actively thinking outside the proverbial box, today quietly unveiling its latest revenue stream: Twitter ads. more ›

After nearly a year on the market, the Statesman is no longer for sale. Parent company Cox Enterprises announced today that they will retain ownership of the paper. more ›

The paper reported that three possible buyers met with Statesman executives last week. Each of the three have made headlines with recent business moves. more ›

The Austin American-Statesman will begin printing and packaging the Waco Tribune-Herald as part of the Austin newspaper's growing printing business. Tribune-Herald publisher Belinda Gaudet announced today that the paper would stop printing and packaging at its Waco shop on July 13. more ›

It's still not too late to register to run (you'll need to show up in person) or become one of the 2,000 volunteers they need to ensure that the whole thing runs smoothly. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. for wheelchair athletes, with staggered starts at 8:45 a.m. for timed and elite runners and 9:00 a.m. for those looking for a more casual fun run (or walk). more ›

The Austin American-Statesman announced the 25 winners of its Texas Social Media Awards today. Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on March 15, where an overall winner also will be named. more ›

The deadline for submissions is midnight on January 9. [Texas Social Media Awards] more ›

Cox Enterprises, a privately owned national media company, today announced that it is getting rid of its local newspaper brands in North Carolina, Colorado and Texas. The Austin American-Statesman is among the nine newspapers to be sold, which will also include the Longview News-Journal, the Waco Tribune-Herald, and The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel in Colorado. Cox will retain The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a small handful of papers in other states. more ›

The Dicksons came home from work one day in May to find all their furniture, clothes, collectibles, and even food in the pantry had been taken by Field Asset Services. They announced today that they are suing Field Asset Services, referring to the local company's actions in this situation as "malicious, callous and wanton." more ›

Fannie Mae says it lost $3.6 billion in the fourth quarter as home-loan delinquencies mounted. more ›