The Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc., a non-profit group created by Texan alumni to help build a strong future for The Daily Texan, has awarded a grant of about $5,300 to the student newspaper to help cover the cost of replacing and updating photography equipment, as well as other office hardware and reporting supplies.

Daily Texan Editor Claire Smith has noted that the newspaper’s leadership is prioritizing visual storytelling in the coming year, and the grant will allow the Texan staff to purchase new camera lenses, a digital recorder, a rig mount, and memory cards to support the photography staff. The photography equipment will be funded from FOTDT’s Innovation Fund, which was created last year to support a sustainable future, quality journalism and innovative work at the student newspaper.

The grant will also allow the staff to purchase new keyboards, computer mice, microphones, and reporters notebooks to free up funds from the newspaper’s operating budget to address infrastructure needs.