Fiona Z. Merriweather first visited Austin in 2014 to cover South by Southwest for the San Antonio Express-News and never quite shook the feeling she’d found home. Three years later, she made it official, joining newsofaustin.com to cover the story that increasingly defines this city: how unchecked growth reshapes neighborhoods, strains infrastructure, and tests whether longtime residents can afford to stay.
Coverage Focus & Notable Work
As Senior Reporter, Fiona tracks urban development, housing policy, and the downstream effects of Austin’s tech-fueled expansion. Her 2022 investigation into short-term rental conversions in East Austin—documenting how more than 200 single-family homes vanished from the long-term housing market over three years—earned a Texas Press Association Award for investigative reporting and prompted city council to revisit its permitting framework. She followed that work with a six-part series on mobile home park closures along the I-35 corridor, tracing where displaced families ended up.
Background
Before San Antonio, Fiona spent four years at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times covering county government and Hurricane Harvey’s long recovery. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Missouri and completed a data journalism fellowship through Investigative Reporters & Editors in 2019. She lives in Windsor Park with her husband Marcus, a middle school band director, and a perpetually muddy rescue mutt named Hank. Most weekends, you’ll find her hunting down a taco truck she hasn’t tried yet.
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