Maya Fawaz
Hays County ReporterWhat I do at KUT
Where most reporters have a certain beat they focus on, my reporting includes a little bit of everything: education, politics, the environment, business and housing. My coverage area is also vast, I travel frequently across San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Wimberley and Dripping Springs.
I love what I do and the ever-changing nature of my beat, but it frustrates me to know I can’t cover everything. I try my best to bring attention to what’s most important to the communities in Hays County and will always lend an ear to someone willing to chat. I work hard to keep people at the heart of every story I tell, whether it be on the air or on our website.
My experience
I was labeled an “excessive talker” in every classroom growing up, often having to be moved away from friends and exiled to the other side of classrooms — where I inevitably would strike up a new conversation with a stranger. I got accepted into the University of Texas at Austin and didn’t know what would come next. All I knew was I loved telling stories and was obsessed with learning languages. I took a journalism class, which led to another, and yet another.
I graduated with a bachelor’s in Journalism, a minor in French and with a first-level Arabic class under my belt. I produced an investigative podcast under our student-run audio production house called Crooked Power, a five-episode series reported entirely in Spanish. It followed a family of journalists in Ecuador as they fought for a free press amid a national controversy in 2011.
I freelanced for a while, editing and producing podcasts, until I landed an internship at KUT. I was given a chance to stick around as a part-time general assignment reporter and, to my delight and surprise, was hired as the Hays County reporter in January 2023.
Journalistic ethics
I care more about covering the news fairly and with context than to be the first reporter to break the news. I believe in producing accurate stories while treating sources with compassion and care. At the end of the day, reporters are people, with our own opinions and beliefs. I take great care to not let my own experiences and opinions impact my reporting.
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The popular swimming hole stopped flowing over the summer for the sixth time in its recorded history, signaling poor health of the local aquifer. Thursday morning it had its highest flow in over a year following recent rainfall.
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If you can't foster a pet, both Austin Pets Alive! and the Austin Animal Shelter are accepting supplies and monetary donations.
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Aqua Texas has refused to pay the fee for pumping more water than allowed in 2022. It claims it is receiving "unlawful and unequal treatment."
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Cuatro personas fueron asesinadas en dos barrios diferentes por un tirador que hirió a otras tres personas.
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Four people were killed in two different neighborhoods by a gunman who injured three others.
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Developers announced a 40-story mixed-use building would take the place of several LGBTQ+ bars and nightclubs in downtown Austin. Almost two years later, the bars are still standing, leaving community members wondering what will happen next.
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Hill Country Studios can begin the first phase of construction on the 800,000-square-foot project as soon as Feb 4. Activists had protested the development when it was announced in 2022.
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Wimberley's latest nomination could mean even more people could be coming to town for the total solar eclipse passing through Central Texas in April. City officials hope this title brings awareness to dark sky preservation in the area.
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Los votantes del Condado de Hays decidirán este año sobre varios candidatos a la alcaldía y al Consejo de la Ciudad.
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Cities and counties are trying to prevent drugs from ending up in local waterways, where the chemicals can affect the drinking water supply and aquatic life.