WT to Host Screening, Q&A of Documentary Spotlighting Historic Panhandle Newspaper

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CANYON, Texas—West Texas A&M University will host a special screening with the filmmaker of a documentary telling the story and struggles of the historic Texas newspaper The Canadian Record.

The free screening, followed by a Q&A session, will take place from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

Director Heather Courtney’s film, “For the Record,” offers an in-depth look at the challenges faced by local newspapers. The film highlights editor Laurie Ezzell Brown’s dedication to journalism and her community as she struggles to keep the newspaper alive amid the many problems faced by local journalists in the modern media landscape.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of the American West, the WT Department of Communication, High Plains Public Radio, the WT Communication Alumni Network, the League of Women Voters of Amarillo, and the Amarillo International Film Festival.

The screening is part of WT’s Homecoming 2024 celebrations.

“The biggest impact of this screening, for both students and community, is that it will make clear why rural journalism matters, and why it matters that local newspapers in America are dying out,” said Dr. Ryan Brooks, associate professor of English and director of the WT English graduate program. “It is important to have this screening on campus because WT is a public university dedicated to serving the needs of the region, which often gets underrepresented or misrepresented in the culture at large.”

Brooks hosted Courtney and Brown on the May 6 episode of his podcast, “Humanities on the High Plains.” They also will appear on HPPR at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 prior to the screening. Listeners can tune in to 105.7 FM or stream the interview at HPPR.org.

Offering students educational and insightful opportunities outside of the classroom is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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