The loss of local reporting across Pennsylvania is straining the fabric of our communities.
Residents have fewer trusted sources of information about what’s happening and why. Across the state, businesses, nonprofits, and local governments are struggling to get the word out about what they’re doing. And those with power and influence aren’t getting the scrutiny they require, which research tells us can cause everything from wasted tax dollars to an uncompetitive business environment and weaker economy.
This is why we launched Spotlight PA, a nonprofit news organization producing investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Spotlight PA ensures professional reporters are watching out for our tax dollars, holding our elected leaders in Harrisburg and statewide to account, and driving significant change for the better in all corners of the state. Our work is available at no cost at spotlightpa.org and republished in 125-plus news outlets around the state, including a dozen in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Today and tomorrow, Spotlight PA is participating in NEPA Gives, a 24-hour giving campaign for nonprofit organizations in the region, and we need your support. From 7 p.m. today to 7 p.m. tomorrow, you can join together and help us chart a better course for reporting that is relevant to your life and makes Pennsylvania better.
Every dollar you contribute (up to $5,000) will be DOUBLED thanks to a matching gift from Rebecca Shoval, a Spotlight PA board member in Wilkes-Barre.
Since its founding, Spotlight PA has directly saved taxpayers more than $20 million through its investigative and public-service reporting. Our work has led to 42 local, state, and federal policy changes, the introduction of 19 bills in the legislature, and 9 legal victories — some setting new statewide precedents that enhance government transparency and responsiveness.
These aren't just numbers on a page. Behind each statistic are countless people whose lives have been changed for the better as a direct result of our reporting.
All is not lost yet. There are still professional journalists and independent organizations like Spotlight PA willing to take on this tough task, fighting on the front lines for truth without fear or favor. They don't do it for fame or glory, but out of a sense of duty and service.
Yet this work hangs by a thread.
The path forward requires a fundamental shift in how we think about supporting journalism. Just as we fund museums, the arts, and other public institutions integral to our communities, we must recognize that independent journalism serves the public interest and requires support.
What we do today will determine whether future generations inherit a society where truth and transparency flourish, or one where information is controlled by the powerful few and misinformation dominates. The choice is ours, but time is running short.
Right now, your tax-deductible gift in support of Spotlight PA’s independent, unbiased reporting will go twice as far for NEPA Gives. Go to spotlightpa.org/nepa to give now.
Christopher Baxter is the CEO & President of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan newsroom producing investigative and public-service reporting for all of Pennsylvania. Learn more at spotlightpa.org.