Houston Local Information Initiative is the official name of Houston Landing, a left-of-center digital news platform based in Houston, Texas. ^{1 2}

Houston Landing was launched in 2022 with seed funding and from the left-of-center Houston Endowment, Kinder Foundation, Arnold Ventures, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the American Journalism Project (AJP). ^{3 4}

History and Leadership

The Houston Local Information Initiative, the official name of Houston, Texas-based digital news platform Houston Landing, ⁵ was founded in 2022. The organization derives its name from the numerous space “landings” that have taken place in Houston, most recently at the Johnson Space Center since 1969. ⁶ In August 2022, the organization received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. ⁷ In 2023, Houston Landing launched its online media platform. ⁸

Peter Bhatia is Houston Landing’s chief executive officer. Previously, he was the editor and vice president of the Detroit Free Press and the vice president of the Cincinnati Inquirer. ⁹

Mizanur Rahman was the founding editor-in-chief of Houston Landing from 2022 until January 2024. ¹⁰  Previously, he was an editor for the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, and other publications. ¹¹ In January 2024, he was dismissed as the organization sought to pursue a “digital first” policy positioning. ¹² Houston Landing workers voted to join the NewsGuild-CWA labor union in February 2024. ^{13 14}

Houston Landing’s board of directors includes representatives from left-of-center Arnold Ventures, Central Houston, Houston Endowment, Kinder Foundation, Houston Asian American Archive, and Lopez Negrete Communications. ¹⁵

Activity

Houston Landing has published articles claiming that Texas laws opposing critical race theory-influenced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are “wreaking havoc” in the state. ¹⁶ It also has published articles documenting Rice University’s efforts to defy a Texas law banning DEI programs ¹⁷ and other articles calling Texas SB4, which makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally, “controversial.” ¹⁸

Other online-only left-of-center publications such as The Texas Tribune, Reform Austin, and the Victoria Advocate have republished articles published by Houston Landing. ¹⁹

Funding

The Houston Local Information Initiative claims to have editorial independence despite being funded by several prominent left-of-center organizations such as the Houston Endowment, Kinder Foundation, Arnold Ventures, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the American Journalism Project (AJP). ^{20 21 22} Initial pledges of $20 million were made at its launch after a two-year research effort led by AJP. ^{23 24}

The Houston Local Information Initiative receives funding from individual contributions and grants. ²⁵ In its first year of operation in 2022, Houston Local Information Initiative reported revenue of $6,797,200 and expenses of $6,439,735. ²⁶

In 2022, the organization received $2,500,000 from the left-of-center Houston Endowment and $1,720,680 from the American Journalism Project. ²⁷ Since its founding, the Houston Local Information Initiative has received more than $5,000,000 in funding from the Houston Endowment and Kinder Foundation. The Initiative has also received between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999 from the American Journalism Project and Arnold Ventures and between $100,000 and $499,999 from the John S. and James K. Knight Foundation since its launch. ²⁸

Houston Local Information Initiative has also received smaller grants from the M.D. Anderson Foundation, the James and Molly Crownover Family Foundation, the J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund, the Houston Jewish Community Foundation, the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, the Hobby Foundation, and several individuals. ²⁹

1. “What is the Houston Landing.” Houston Landing. March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/about/.
2. “Ethics Policy.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/ethics-policy/.
3. ^[1] Raham, Mizanur. “The Houston Landing launches: Local news for the greater Houston area.” Houston Landing. February 1, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/origin-story/.
4. “Local coalition to launch nonprofit newsroom in Houston.” American Journalism Project. January 18, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.theajp.org/news-insights/announcements/local-coalition-to-launch-nonprofit-newsroom-in-houston/.
5. “Ethics Policy.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/ethics-policy/.
6. Raham, Mizanur. “The Houston Landing launches: Local news for the greater Houston area.” Houston Landing. February 1, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/origin-story/.
7. “Notice of Determination.” Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service. August 29, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2024.  https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_87-4133043_HOUSTONLOCALINFORMATIONINITIATIVEINC_05182022_00.tif.
8.  “Houston Landing.” CauseIQ. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/houston-local-information-initiative,874133043/.
9. “Our Team.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/team/.
10. Rahman, Mizanur. “The Houston Landing launches Local news for the greater Houston area.” Houston Landing. February 1, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/origin-story/#:~:text=Houston%20Landing%3A%20Origins%20of%20a%20name&text=The%20first%2C%20in%201836%2C%20was,described%20as%20Houston’s%20Plymouth%20Rock.
11. “Mizanur Rahman.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mizanur-rahman-96a786251/.
12. Fu, Angela. “Houston news startup fires editor-in-chief and top investigative reporter seven months after launch.” Poynter. January 10, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/houston-landing-fires-editor-investigative-reporter-peter-bhatia/.
13. ^[1] Quinnell, Kenneth. “”Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Houston Landing Workers Form Union After Editor, Star Reporter Fired.” AFL-CIO. February 20, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://aflcio.org/2024/2/20/service-solidarity-spotlight-houston-landing-workers-form-union-after-editor-star.
14. Hardy, Michael. “A Hard Landing for a Houston News Nonprofit.” Texas Monthly. January 10, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/houston-landing-nonprofit-news-firings/.
15. “What is the Houston Landing.” Houston Landing. January 10, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/houston-landing-nonprofit-news-firings/.
16. Welch, Monique. “Texas’ anti-DEI law is wreaking havoc before it takes effect next year. Here’s what to know.” Houston Landing,. August 24, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/texas-anti-dei-law-is-wreaking-havoc-before-it-takes-effect-next-year-heres-what-to-know/.
17. McGee, Kate. “As Texas bans diversity and equity offices at public colleges, Rice University’s inclusion efforts march on.” Houston Landing. October 25, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/as-texas-bans-diversity-and-equity-offices-at-public-colleges-rice-universitys-inclusion-efforts-march-on/.
18. Brigida, Anna-Catherine. “Fort Bend will not target immigrants under controversial SB4 law.” Houston Landing. February 6, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/fort-bend-will-not-target-immigrants-under-controversial-sb-4-law/.
19. Rahman, Mizanur. “What makes the Houston Landing Different?” Houston Landing. February 24, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/what-makes-the-houston-landing-different/.
20. Raham, Mizanur. “The Houston Landing launches: Local news for the greater Houston area.” Houston Landing. February 1, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/origin-story/.
21. “Local coalition to launch nonprofit newsroom in Houston.” American Journalism Project. January 18, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.theajp.org/news-insights/announcements/local-coalition-to-launch-nonprofit-newsroom-in-houston/.
22. “What is the Houston Landing.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/about/.
23. Raham, Mizanur. “The Houston Landing launches: Local news for the greater Houston area.” Houston Landing. February 1, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/origin-story/.
24. “Local coalition to launch nonprofit newsroom in Houston.” American Journalism Project. January 18, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.theajp.org/news-insights/announcements/local-coalition-to-launch-nonprofit-newsroom-in-houston/.
25. “Houston Local Information Initiative.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/874133043/e08322f97126b1f7953f42f3d209d1ac.
26. “Houston Local Information Initiative.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/874133043/e08322f97126b1f7953f42f3d209d1ac.
27. “Houston Local Information Initiative.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/874133043/e08322f97126b1f7953f42f3d209d1ac.
28. “Support Independent Journalism.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/donate/.
29. “Support Independent Journalism.” Houston Landing. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://houstonlanding.org/donate/.