Formerly at the Texas Tribune, veteran journalists (and native Texans) Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora recently launched The 19th, a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom that aims to empower women, particularly those who are underserved by and underrepresented in American media.
“The reality is the news industry is already gendered,” Ramshaw states. “The 19th is working to level the playing field.”
The publication will report on all issues affecting women from health to the economy to elections, “exposing gender inequity and injustice”—equipping them with the information, community and resources needed to be equal participants in society.
The 19th’s logo also uses an asterisk, a visual “reminder of those who have been omitted from our democracy” to elevate the voices of women who have not been represented in journalism and newsroom leadership.
Content will be free and include investigative reporting, a digital presence, newsletter, virtual event series and a national listening tour.
The publication’s name pays tribute to the amendment that granted women the right to vote, passed 100 years ago this year. In honor of the suffrage centennial, The 19th is hosting a free week-long summit next month featuring more than 35 prominent women in politics, civic engagement, journalism and the arts, including voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kamala Harris and actress Meryl Streep.
Both co-founders have extensive journalism experience prior to their new venture. Before The 19th, Ramshaw was a reporter for The Dallas Morning News, then climbed the ranks of the Tribune over 10 years where she served as an investigative reporter then editor-in-chief. Zamora worked at publications like The Washington Post and Pro Publica as an editor before returning to her home state of Texas in 2016 where she served as the Chief Audience Officer at the Tribune.
Photo: The 19th
Sarah brings more than seven years of experience as a multimedia journalist to Texas Signal, where she serves as our Podcast and Video Producer, managing the company's three podcasts, including SignalCast, TexMix Podcast and Three Righteous Mamas, and assisting with copy-editing and social media as well. Sarah is also the Editor-at-Large at Brown Girl Magazine, and an avid artist, TV/film enthusiast and cook. Sarah graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Journalism, and received a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston.
