By: Amanda Stein, Southern Business Reporting
DALLAS, TEXAS — Founded in 1849 as the city’s first newspaper, the Dallas Herald returns with a modern mandate: rigorous reporting, open debate, and a solutions-focused approach that puts Dallas at the center of the story. A historical, national legacy brand, the Herald is being rebuilt for the audience it must serve now—on screens, in rooms, and in partnership with the city’s institutions.
The new Herald will be digital-first from day one—daily newsletters, a mobile-optimized site, podcasts, and live forums—paired with a visible local presence: newsroom office hours, quarterly public conversations, and a community advisory group to keep coverage grounded. The goal is plain and ambitious: report the facts, surface solutions, and convene Dallas.
A Charter for the Modern Herald
“Positive media” here will not mean soft-pedaling hard news. It means accountability with a bias for solutions—following the evidence, showing how problems are being solved, and who’s doing the work. The Herald will publish an editorial charter, a standing corrections page, and plain-English standards on sourcing and conflict of interest. Opinion will be clearly labeled. So will advocacy.
Organizers say the relaunch has already drawn support from leaders in the Dallas business community, who want a credible platform that connects civic life, entrepreneurship, arts, science, faith, and neighborhoods—without turning every story into a food fight.
Built for the Era We’re In
Local news across America has thinned; thousands of papers have closed since the mid-2000s, and audiences now find most of their news on their phones. The Herald’s answer is not nostalgia. It is clarity, frequency, and utility—fact-first reporting delivered where people actually read, reinforced by in-person forums where the city can deliberate in good faith.
What Readers Can Expect
- Daily Briefing (AM): a concise, document-linked roundup with data and source notes.
- Reporting Desks: city & county, schools, business, culture, health & science, faith & community.
- Solutions Files: recurring formats that track what’s working—policy pilots, public-private collaborations, neighborhood fixes.
- Public Forums: quarterly, on the record, with diverse panels and audience questions.
- Standards & Corrections: a permanent, easy-to-find page; updates time-stamped and archived.
Leadership’s View
“The Dallas Herald was the first newspaper in this city, and with that comes a responsibility larger than publishing headlines,” said Moe Rock, who is leading the revival. “It’s about honoring the First Amendment, safeguarding truth, and ensuring Dallas has a platform worthy of its place in America’s story. We intend to give this city journalism that informs, inspires, and builds common ground.”
A National Legacy Brand, Dallas First
The Herald’s name carries national recognition and historical weight; its mission is local first. The brand will sit within a broader parent platform of verticals, including education programs, small-business spotlights, cultural initiatives, research and data projects, and convenings that connect readers with doers. Reporting should activate civic life: explain the stakes, bring the right people into the same room, and follow up until there’s progress or accountability.
Standards That Travel; Coverage That Stays Home
The Herald’s goal is clarity, fairness, and usefulness—coverage that respects readers’ time and intelligence. That means transparent budgets and procurement, schools and workforce, infrastructure and safety, the arts, faith communities, and Dallas’s role in national innovation. The standards are portable. The focus is Dallas.
The Dallas Herald began in 1849 to give a young city a common record. In this century, the need is similar. The names and the technology have changed. The responsibilities have not.
Launch updates and the editorial charter will be available via the Herald’s morning briefing. Public forum dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article reflect those of the Dallas Herald’s leadership and organizers and are for informational purposes only. The Herald is committed to providing fact-based, solution-oriented reporting with a focus on clarity, fairness, and transparency. All content is subject to change, and updates to editorial standards will be made available to the public. The Herald is not responsible for external links or third-party content referenced.
