The rapid decline of trusted, unbiased news in communities across Pennsylvania is alarming — and it’s only getting worse.
The folks in the Lehigh Valley know how this story goes. From Allentown to Easton, there are fewer reporters and less coverage than ever. Not because of a lack of commitment by journalists, but because of a simple lack of resources.
This situation demands our attention, and bold solutions.
Spotlight PA was founded in 2019 to restore investigative and public-service journalism in Pennsylvania, to share it with news organizations across the state, and to ensure the public has free and unfettered access to the truth about what’s happening.
As our work has driven significant policy change and been recognized by some of the most prestigious national journalism organizations, the call has grown for Spotlight PA to help bring more investigative journalists back to our local communities, including the Lehigh Valley, hand-in-hand with our partner media outlets in the region.
This would be Spotlight PA’s third community newsroom. Our first, launched in 2022 in State College, covers north-central Pennsylvania, including rural issues, Penn State University, and local government accountability. Our second, launched this year in Berks County, covers Reading City Hall, local and county governments, and social issues.
We aren’t seeking to expand for the sake of it, but the decline in local news—especially investigative and accountability journalism—is unrelenting, yet the need for it is more stark than ever. Over the past year, a group of Spotlight PA readers, including former Morning Call editors, asked us how Spotlight PA could do more in the Lehigh Valley.
We were moved to action.
With financial support from the Richard and Susan Master Family Foundation and the American Journalism Project — a national venture philanthropy investing in leading nonprofit newsrooms across the U.S. — Spotlight PA is studying the potential for a community newsroom based in the Lehigh Valley.
You can sign up for updates about this exciting project at spotlightpa.org/lehighvalley.
You can support Spotlight PA’s efforts statewide by making a tax-deductible gift now. For a limited time, all contributions will be DOUBLED.
Together, we can bring talented reporters back to the region, dedicate time and resources to in-depth investigative and public-service journalism about our powerful institutions, and better inform and equip residents to get involved and drive change.
We can only do that, however, with your help.
Megan Beste of Taggart Associates is leading our six-month effort to build a coalition of community support for a potential Lehigh Valley newsroom.
We are fortunate to benefit from Megan’s leadership expertise and deep local roots. Raised in the Lehigh Valley, Megan has made her home in Bethlehem for nearly 20 years. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., she has worked across sectors in the Lehigh Valley and D.C., most recently as the district director for a member of Congress, and before that, as a corporate social responsibility consultant, a marketing and communications professional, and a passionate nonprofit board member.
Megan has assembled an advisory board of 12 local leaders who will help guide Spotlight PA as we conduct listening sessions and research to better understand information gaps and what kind of news coverage community members want.
As part of the project, we are also inviting residents in Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties to fill out a 5-minute survey about news habits and information needs.
Spotlight PA is also conducting a philanthropic study to assess the feasibility of annual charitable support from individuals, foundations, and corporations to sustain a local team. This study is led by Dick Button, a consultant with extensive fundraising and civic experience in the Lehigh Valley. Dick worked in various development positions at Kutztown University for 20 years, actively participating in four multi-year capital campaigns. He also served on the Allentown City Planning Commission for 30 years, in addition to the boards of the West Park Civic Association, Mayfair Festival, Girl Scouts Great Valley Council, the Repertory Dance Theatre, and the Allentown School District Foundation. Over the years, he has volunteered for a number of Lehigh Valley civic and arts events and festivals.
We’re not predetermining the outcome of this project or how to best serve the region. We’re putting the community in charge, and we would love to hear from you if you would like to attend a listening session or financially support the effort. Please reach out directly to Megan Beste at megan@spotlightpa.org.
We look forward to working with Lehigh Valley residents over the next several months. We are optimistic about the future of Spotlight PA and bold, high-quality investigative and public-service journalism in the Lehigh Valley, and we are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with Pennsylvanians on this effort.