We Have an Issue: “Free Wrapping Paper Since 1981”

Last year we festooned our annual Gift Guide Issue with a grackle-in-a-Santa-hat pattern for readers to repurpose as wrapping paper. It was such a hit, we've done it again: This year, Art Director Zeke Barbaro has combined two quintessentially Austin somethings – bats and tacos – for a design that is at once charming and kinda gross (quite the balancing act, that). I hope it's useful for your gift wrapping, or just gives you a laugh.

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I know it's the holidays and I should keep this light, but here's a discouraging data point from "The State of Local News," an annual report published by the Medill Local News initiative at Northwestern University:

"Texas, the nation's second largest state with 30 million residents, grew 50% between 2005 and 2022, the fastest of any state in the country. During the same period, it lost 65% of its newspaper journalists."

This isn't news to anyone, but the state of news media isn't great. We live in an age of shrinking staff and shrinking revenue, growing news deserts, eroding trust in the media (one of the MAGA movement's signature achievements), and a tortured relationship with tech companies like Meta and X.

One way the Chronicle has been able to weather the storm battering our industry is through our donor program, which we launched in 2018. Our supporters sustained us during the worst of the pandemic and have enabled us to produce award-winning journalism. We've been happy to pay it forward, too, helping other progressive papers launch donor programs in their own communities across the country.

If you've relied on the Chronicle – for instance, for candidate endorsements and watchdog reporting, profiles of emerging artists, dedicated cannabis and LGBTQ coverage, calendar listings, movie and restaurant reviews, the crossword puzzle, or just a laugh every April Fools' and Halloween – I hope you'll consider supporting us with a one-time or recurring donation at austinchronicle.com/support.

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On the horizon: Voting for the 2023/2024 Austin Music Poll kicks off in the Jan. 4 issue. Readers will have the chance to vote on categories like Band of the Year, Best New Act, Best Music Fest, and more. Winners will be announced in a special AMAs issue Feb. 23, followed by a celebration and concert at Antone's on Feb. 25. Stay tuned in 2024 for the official lineup announcement and ticket link.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

What About Displacement? As Council prepares to pass the HOME ordinance, the most substantive Land Development Code changes in more than a decade, tensions over who will benefit and who may be harmed are once again at issue.

Liz Phair Revisits Exile in Guyville: At a Dec. 1 Moody Theater set, the indie rock pioneer marked the 30th anniversary of her enduring first album with "ultracool charisma," writes Genevieve Wood.

Summer of Soccer: Q2 Stadium, home of Austin FC, will host a Copa América group stage June 30 & July 2.

SXSW 2024 Takes Shape: Oscar-winning filmmaking duo Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once) will deliver a keynote address at the March Fest; also announced were 243 more artists tapped to perform, including New Jersey punk-rap group Ho99o9, Berlin DJ Sofia Kourtesis, and insanely popular Japanese Vocaloid artist Kikuo.

ACL presale Is Upon Us: Get 'em while they're good and cheap(ish): Tickets go on sale today, Dec. 7, 10am.

Lost Cinema Reopening in East Austin: Blue Starlite has teamed with Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex to revive its long-closed one-screen cinema in January.