What Is the Austin American-Statesman Website?

Updated

statesman.com is the website of the Austin American-Statesman, a news outlet that describes itself as "the number one source for Austin and Texas breaking news, politics and business." It is aimed at readers who follow Austin and Texas news, with a strong emphasis on local politics, sports, and community coverage. If you are looking for Austin-area headlines, University of Texas athletics, or Central Texas high school sports, this is the kind of site built for that.

What the site covers

The homepage navigation and story mix show the main coverage areas:

  • News — breaking news and general Austin/Texas reporting
  • Weather — local forecasts and conditions
  • Business — Austin and Texas business coverage
  • Education — school-related reporting, including local district news
  • Sports — general sports coverage
  • Longhorns — University of Texas athletics, including football and volleyball
  • Food — Austin food and dining
  • Entertainment — events and culture, including Austin City Limits (ACL) Fest coverage
  • Opinion — columns and commentary
  • Newsletters — email-based updates
  • Puzzles — games and puzzle content

The site also runs a "Trending" list, which at the time of the page evidence included items such as "Best music venues in Austin," "ACL Fest Weekend 2," "Austin weather," and "Annual cricket invasion returns."

Who it is for

The audience is primarily people in or following Austin and the wider state of Texas. Two areas stand out in the page evidence:

  1. Local and state news — politics, business, education, and community stories.
  2. Sports at multiple levels — University of Texas ("Longhorns") coverage plus Central Texas high school football, with live scoring updates and game results.

For example, if you want to follow a Texas vs. Arkansas game, high school football scores from around Austin, or a local story about a church erasing medical debt, those are the kinds of items the site publishes.

How to use it

  • Scan the section menu (News, Weather, Business, Education, Sports, Longhorns, Food, Entertainment, Opinion, Newsletters, Puzzles) to go straight to the topic you want.
  • Check the Trending list for the stories getting the most attention at that moment.
  • Use the Longhorns and High School Football sections if you are following Texas athletics or Austin-area prep sports.
  • Look for the subscribe option if you want ongoing access; the site shows subscription signals, so some content or features may sit behind a subscription.

What to keep in mind

The site is a local news destination, not a general-purpose reference site. Its value is in Austin and Texas coverage — especially politics, business, and sports — rather than national or international news. If your interest is outside that region, another source will likely serve you better.