For the past decade, there’s been nothing short of a crisis in our state capital.

More and more of Pennsylvania’s sprawling and costly bureaucracy operated without scrutiny from investigative reporters, the watchdogs tracking how our hard-earned tax dollars are spent and demanding answers from lawmakers about waste, fraud, and abuse. 

Together, we can restore accountability. 

I’m proud to introduce you to Spotlight PA, a statewide and member-funded newsroom based in Harrisburg with the mission of holding the powerful in Pennsylvania to account through independent, nonpartisan investigative and public-service journalism. 

Spotlight PA is an unprecedented collaboration born of the grit and determination that makes our state great, and it now provides high-quality state government and statewide reporting at no cost to more than 90 community newsrooms across Pennsylvania. And we continue to grow. 

Today, we’re excited to announce an expansion to provide greater access to our independent journalism throughout Pittsburgh via a new partnership with Pittsburgh City Paper.

Spotlight PA is built on the belief that the public will support unique, high-quality investigative journalism you can’t get anywhere else. In doing so, we can build a new path forward for local news in Pennsylvania that’s sustainable and puts the community first. 

If you value independent, nonpartisan journalism and want to support access to it throughout Pittsburgh, you can make a gift of any amount to Spotlight PA now at spotlightpa.org/donate 

Spotlight PA’s growing team of nearly a dozen reporters includes Pennsylvania veterans and other accomplished journalists recruited from across the state and the U.S. 

Spotlight PA is now the single largest statewide newsroom in Pennsylvania dedicated to producing accountability journalism about the state government and urgent statewide issues. 

Our journalists are assigned to cover specific state departments, commissions, and agencies, as well as topics of statewide importance, from criminal justice to voting, economic development to politics. Many of these areas have gone without serious scrutiny for years. Spotlight PA reporters have the time, resources, and mandate to be fearless in their pursuit of the truth. 

Far from just providing the news, we connect and engage with you through innovative digital storytelling, creative partnerships, community events, and more.

Financial support for Spotlight PA comes from a unique coalition of state and national funders that recognize the importance that decisions made in Harrisburg have on their communities, from Erie to Scranton, Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. 

They also know and agree that our work must be independent and free from influence. Spotlight PA retains full editorial control, and our funders have no say whatsoever in which stories we pursue or how we pursue them. We do not accept anonymous donations, and all of our supporters are listed publicly at spotlightpa.org/support 

Spotlight PA was formed to serve you, the public, and we want you to be a part of our efforts. Many of the best investigations start with a call or email from a concerned reader. If you have tips or suggestions for an investigation, please visit spotlightpa.org/tips to see the various secure ways you can communicate with our team. 

After having lived in Pennsylvania for more than a decade, I’m proud to be leading such an ambitious effort to provide the people of this state with more of the high-quality investigative and public-service journalism we all need. Together, we can hold the powerful to account. 

Learn more about Spotlight PA and how to support our investigative journalism at spotlightpa.org/donate

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Christopher Baxter is the executive director and editor-in-chief of Spotlight PA