About The Civic
Who We Are
The Civic is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet covering San Antonio. We believe honest debate and good data make cities better. Our goal is simple: help San Antonio become a thriving city that works for everyone.
The Problem
San Antonio is a gem—a rare blend of Texan and Mexican heritage with a quality of life that’s hard to match. But despite a growing population, we keep falling short on the things that matter: job growth, median income, schools, public safety, health outcomes. We’re getting bigger, but not better. Always five years away from becoming a major American city.
Part of the problem is coverage. Local media tends to focus on what leaders intend to do, which is almost always good, while ignoring whether policies actually work. San Antonio needs a news outlet willing to ask hard questions, dig into the data, and hold leaders accountable for results—not just promises.
What to Expect
We publish a weekly analysis newsletter on Substack, free forever. As we grow, expect more: deeper investigations, local events, and expanded coverage.
Our Approach
We’re pro-growth but we’re not ideologues. We welcome disagreement and debate. We judge policies by outcomes, not intentions. We won’t engage in national culture wars, endorse candidates, or publish personal attacks.
Our aim isn’t to turn San Antonio into Houston or Austin. It’s to help make San Antonio a better version of itself—a city that’s growing, changing, and leading its peers.
Leadership
Philip Reichert, Editor and Executive Director. Army intelligence veteran and founder of multiple national media and policy organizations. His work has appeared in Newsweek, the Washington Examiner, and The Dispatch.
Staff
Jarrett Whitener, Reporter. He spent more than four years at Community Impact Newspaper covering local government, education, and development across San Antonio. Before that, he was a staff writer for the North Georgia News and the Towns County Herald. He holds a degree in creative writing from Young Harris College.
Board of Directors
Lew Moorman, Chairman. A San Antonio native and co-founder of the San Antonio-based investment firms Scaleworks and Soilworks. Former President and Chief Strategy Officer of Rackspace, where he spent 13 years helping build one of the city's defining companies.
David Heard. Chief Marketing Officer at SecureLogix since 2000. Co-founded Tech Bloc in 2015 and led it through the rideshare fight, the launch of CAST Tech, and the buildout of the downtown tech district.
Charles Blain. President of Urban Reform and the Urban Reform Institute, a Houston-based think tank focused on free-market approaches to urban policy.
The Civic is independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan. We are not affiliated with any political party, government organization, campaign, think tank, or advocacy organization. We are funded by readers, charter members, our founding board—and no one else. We answer only to our readers and the facts. Consider supporting our work below, or sending to a friend.
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