Morning drive-time KUT and KUTX listeners will recognize Lauren Terrazas as the voice behind the “Morning Edition” local newscast, reporting on the latest local and statewide news headlines during breaks between national news on NPR.
While many of us are sleeping, Lauren, arrives at the KUT newsroom just before 5 a.m. weekday mornings to research overnight and early morning breaking news, prepare newscasts, produce stories for KUT.org, edit reporter scripts and produce the morning newscast for KUT 90.5 and our sister station KUTX 98.9, The Austin Music Experience.
An El Paso native, Lauren joined the KUT newsroom in December after working at San Antonio’s Texas Public Radio where she produced the local edition of NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “Fronteras.”
Connect with Lauren on Twitter @_laterrazas
What are you listening to these days?
I’m inundated in the news and talk radio regularly for work, so I really lean into music for leisure listening. I try and keep updated playlists of some of my favorite music – old and new – to help me break away from the daily news cycle. Some artists I’ve had on rotation frequently lately include Mon Laferte, Omar Apollo, Kaytranada and Harry Styles, among others. But my listening habits are really all over the place. I can go from ranchera music, to emo pop and then old school rock. I love the variety! I also have a modest vinyl collection that mostly consists of records taken from my dad’s collection and a few I’ve thrifted over the years. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors is always a comfort go-to for me. As far as podcasts go, my friends and I enjoy sharing Ologies episodes with each other, and I’ve recently been enjoying self-help podcasts while on afternoon walks, like Bunny Michael’s XO Higher Self. I admit I usually save podcasts for road trips since I listen to talk radio every morning and like to tune into something different when possible. But I love receiving suggested podcasts/episodes from others and giving them a listen when I have the time. Some podcasts I do cycle through regularly include The Daily, NPR’s Hidden Brain and the occasional true crime fix.
Read anything interesting lately?
Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been really focused on reading more books by Latinx authors to support their work and connect with myself a little deeper. Some of my recent favorites include Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez’s “For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts” (will definitely be re-reading) and Jessica Hernandez’s “Fresh Banana Leaves — An Indigenous Approach To Science.” Currently in my book rotation are Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Mark Wylon’s “It Didn’t Start with You,” which doubles as a journal and guide for understanding generational trauma and how to break such cycles. I also frequently read a variety of news magazines including “The Atlantic” and “Texas Monthly.”
What are you loving about the ATX lately?
I moved to Austin almost five months ago and am still exploring new parts of the city, especially trails and nearby state parks for camping and hiking. I went to Shoal Creek for a story I worked on in March and enjoy running near Lady Bird Lake. I grew up in the Southwest, and while I love my desert roots, having easy access to bodies of water and green spaces has been exciting. I love being within a short driving distance of different landscapes and I have a growing list of places to visit (suggestions welcome!).