Marfa Public Radio is pleased to announce the hiring of Mary Cantrell as the station’s new reporter.
Cantrell, a Marfa resident, has spent the past four years as a journalist at The Big Bend Sentinel, a historic and highly regarded regional newspaper. There, she covered everything from local government meetings and elections to local schools, environmental issues, health care, the arts and more.
While at the Sentinel, Cantrell earned several awards from the Texas Press Association for news and feature writing and photography, in addition to a Showcase Award for Enterprise and Innovation from the Headliner’s Foundation of Texas.
Cantrell is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and has previously written for the arts publications Sightlines and Glasstire.
“I’m thrilled to have such a talented, passionate and hardworking journalist joining our team,” said Travis Bubenik, News Director at Marfa Public Radio. “Mary’s deep knowledge of West Texas and her demonstrated commitment to community service-oriented journalism is a huge asset to our station, and ultimately to our audience.”
Cantrell’s hiring is part of Marfa Public Radio’s broader strategy to strengthen its newsroom and deepen its coverage of the diverse communities across our vast region. Even as the station faces the challenge of operating without federal funding, Marfa Public Radio remains firmly committed to providing trusted, in-depth local news that reflect the lives, voices, and issues of West Texans.
This investment in local reporting underscores our belief that a strong, well-resourced newsroom is essential to our public service mission.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Mary to our team and to the newsroom,” said Anne Marozas, Executive Director of Marfa Public Radio. “This role represents our commitment to building the future of this station. At a time when many rural public radio newsrooms are shrinking, we are choosing to invest in local reporting, and Mary’s talent, experience, and dedication will help move this station forward and ensure our listeners continue to have access to high-quality local journalism.”