Stephenville Empire-Tribune

The Stephenville Empire-Tribune is a local newspaper based in Stephenville, Texas, United States. Founded in the 19th century, it operates as a civilian news organization serving the rural Texas community. The publication gained international prominence in January 2008 when it broke the story of the Stephenville UFO sightings, publishing the first front-page report on January 9, 2008, titled 'Possible UFO Sighting -- Four area residents witness mysterious objects.' This initial coverage sparked worldwide media attention and documented one of the largest mass UFO sightings since the 1997 Phoenix Lights incident. The newspaper's reporting on the unexplained aerial phenomena and subsequent military responses became a significant historical record of the event, with the publication continuing to serve as a primary source for researchers studying the 2008 sightings.