Based at KUT in Austin, Lauren McGaughy is an investigative reporter and editor for The Texas Newsroom, a collaboration between NPR and Texas Public Radio, Houston Public Media, KERA North Texas, and KUT Austin. Her specialty areas include criminal justice, governmental ethics and LGBTQ issues.
In fact, she recently won the 2024 Randy Shilts Award for LGBTQ+ Coverage honoring journalists who consistently bring stories of the LGBTQ+ community to life in mainstream media outlets.
Lauren previously covered state politics and policy for “The Dallas Morning News,” “Houston Chronicle” and “New Orleans Times-Picayune.” Her personal essay on the coverage of the 2017 Sutherland Springs mass shooting spurred a national conversation about media treatment of communities in the wake of tragedies.
She loves cats, cemeteries and comic books. Ask about her wig collection!
Follow Lauren on Instagram @LaurenMcGaughy.
What are you listening to these days?
For music, I am listening to a lot of what I called "K-Earth 101" music. That’s the oldies radio station in Los Angeles, where I grew up. When I was a kid, they played 1950s and 60s Motown and rock, and so that’s been my soundtrack of the summer.
I also just started the podcast “Tested,” on sex testing in sports. It’s very interesting.
Read anything interesting lately?
I’m always reading a few things at once, even though I’m such a slow reader (or maybe that’s what makes me slow!). On my lunch break, I’m reading “Life 3.0,” about the future of AI. It’s making me rewire my brain to understand the concept of life and intelligence as not solely found in breathing things but also information.
On the weekends, I’ve been slogging through “A Court of Wings and Ruin,” the third book in Sarah J. Maas’ Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy (think, Harry Potter but with fairies and for adults only).
I am also reading whatever is the monthly read for my Middle School Book Club, a group of my friends who read books for grades 5-9. This month’s is “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” Very fun!
What are you loving about Austin lately?
I continue to love the local dance scene! I love hitting up Sagebrush once a month for the Country Fried Dance line dancing lessons, Cheer Up Charlies for their monthly 90s country night called Neon Rainbows and The White Horse or Sam’s Town Point for partner dancing.
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