Greg Clock meets Dallas Morning News Managing Editor Amy Hollyfield in a pop-up newsroom at SMU in Dallas, Monday, June 29, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is working to build trust with readers by “meeting them where they are.” This week, journalists will be stationed at a pop-up newsroom in SMU’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center.
The student center is located at 3140 Dyer St. Journalists and editors will be on-site 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Registration to attend the pop-up is still open. Those interested can sign up at dallasnews.com/smupopup.
Greg Clock of Dallas, a longtime reader and former journalist, was the pop-up’s first attendee. He came to advocate for the longevity of the paper’s print edition, which he has been reading since he was 6 years old. He spoke to editors while holding his own copy of Monday’s print edition.
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L.D. Pullen, an SMU public policy master’s student who ran a write-in campaign for Dallas City Council’s District 10 seat in 2025, stumbled upon the pop-up on his way to study. He stayed because of his love of news.
Pullen shared hopes on the paper continuing to hold more community-based events, suggesting The News’ journalists could expand news literacy education efforts to include financial literacy.
The pop-up is part of The News’ trust initiative, launched in 2025. Through listening sessions, media literacy education and community events, The News is working to engage with the community it serves. In March, The News set up shop in Red Bird. Most recently, residents were invited to the downtown Dallas office to learn how the paper is produced through an “Inside the Newsroom” event.
The Dallas Morning News is hosting a pop-up newsroom to connect with residents. The event is Monday, June 29 through Wednesday, July 1 at SMU’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center, 3140 Dyer Street, Dallas, Texas. Sign up with the QR code.
The Dallas Morning News
Managing Editor Amy Hollyfield spoke to the importance of the trust initiative and how it is helping the paper fulfill its mission to serve North Texas. She said the goal behind these pop-up newsrooms is to welcome readers in for conversations while also helping them gain a sense of how the paper operates.
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“It means a lot when we are connected to the community, when they see us, when they hear us, when they understand how we do our jobs and the care and thought we put into them,” Hollyfield said.
Related: How is The Dallas Morning News working to build trust with North Texas?
After two pop-ups in Dallas’ southern area, Hollyfield said the decision was made to take the newsroom north. The neighborhoods surrounding SMU are a high-subscriber area, according to Hollyfield.
This will not be the paper’s last pop-up, Hollyfield said, sharing hopes to venture further into North Texas. She is eyeing Collin County as another potential site.
The News is continuing to explore how to expand the trust initiative. “We know we can help grow people’s trust in media when they meet us and hear us and understand us,” Hollyfield said.
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She shared hopes that the initiative, which has already led hundreds of D-FW residents to interact directly with The News, can be scaled to help the paper interact with “tens of thousands” of readers.
The News will host two panels this week at SMU. Reporters on a sports-business panel will talk all things Mavericks, Stars and FIFA World Cup at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Registration for the panel can be found at dallasnews.com/sportspanel.
The News’ higher education reporter, Milla Surjadi, will delve into the future of colleges and universities on a panel with North Texas education leaders at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Residents can sign up to attend at dallasnews.com/educationpanel.
Related: Is a college degree still worth it? The News to host discussion about the state of higher education