More than a dozen journalists with The Dallas Morning News worked Tuesday from a pop-up newsroom in South Dallas, meeting with community members who work and live in the area.
This was the first of three days the editors, reporters and photojournalists set up a temporary office at The Hub, affiliated with St. Philip’s School and Community Center, located at 1612 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The community is invited to visit with the journalists Oct. 14-16 to share their thoughts and ideas on news coverage. There is also free swag, snacks and a station to have a professional headshot taken.
Lori Haynes-Patton, program facilitator of Youth Revive, was the first community member to visit the pop-up newsroom.
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She said she decided to visit because she saw it as an opportunity to learn.
“This is totally new to me,” Haynes-Patton said. “I am not familiar with journalism on this level and how you all choose to write stories and the things you choose to cover.”
Haynes-Patton spoke with reporters about the programs Youth Revive offers students in low-income communities to help close the civic empowerment gap.
“I wanted to share about where I work because I love what we do and I’m passionate about it,” she said. “This is how we build communities.”
Ken Smith speaks to journalists at The Dallas Morning News during a pop-up newsroom event at The Hub Oct. 14, 2025 in South Dallas.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
The pop-up newsroom is part of The News’ ongoing effort to build trust with communities across North Texas through engagement and dialogue.
“It’s been a goal for our newsroom this year to build trust in the community,” said Amy Hollyfield, managing editor for The News. “We’ve held several listening sessions with stakeholders and multiple events in neighborhoods around town. This pop-up newsroom is our next step in meeting the community where they are. South Dallas is a perfect starting point, given the history here.”
Newsroom staff will chat with visitors, learn about the community and hear story ideas throughout their workdays. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see how the journalists do their jobs throughout the day.
To sign up for a visit, click on this link.
The Hub will have newsroom staff available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 14 through Oct. 16.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.