The San Antonio Express-News, Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle have won top honors in the state’s largest journalism contest for their collaborative coverage of the deadly Texas Hill Country flood of July 2025.
The staffs of the three Hearst papers were awarded first-place in two breaking news categories of the Texas Managing Editors’ Excellence in Journalism contest. The competition, co-sponsored by the Headliners Foundation of Texas, recognizes outstanding journalism published in 2025. Results were announced at the annual TME convention, held in El Paso this year.
The Hill Country deluge was one of the worst flood disasters in U.S. history. Remnants of a tropical storm stalled over Central Texas in early July and dumped one trillion gallons of water on the region. Before dawn on July 4, the Guadalupe River burst out of its banks. Floodwaters wiped out RV parks, homes and campgrounds and engulfed Camp Mystic, killing 25 girls, two counselors and the camp’s co-owner. In all, 139 people died…