REAL NEWS from real communities. PA newspapers making a difference The news media industry in Pennsylvania has long served the residents of the Commonwealth by providing accurate and truthful news and information. As the purveyor of information for our communities, we pride ourselves on delivering the facts so you can be better informed, entertained and inspired. ewspapers work hard to provide real news and credible information Nabout what matters most – news about local people, local government, local happenings and local businesses – all captured by members of the local community. Newspaper journalists are curious watchdogs who investigate and report the truth. These dedicated professionals often expose difficult topics that negatively impact a community - many of which ultimately result in positive legislative action for the citizens of Pennsylvania. On the pages of this publication, you will find a sample of the impactful and engaging stories that have been featured in newspapers across Pennsylvania. In this era of increasing media consolidation and fragmentation, a free press that serves the interests of our communities is more important than ever. We are proud to say that the number of Pennsylvania’s print-based publications has remained stable over the past 10 years. In addition, Pennsylvania newspapers maintain very strong readership, with more than 7 in 10 Pennsylvania adults reading a newspaper, in a print or digital format, each week. Newspapers remain an important and powerful brand – the true source of real news. No other industry is as firmly rooted in the foundation of our nation as the free press. Pennsylvania newspapers are dedicated to preserving the Fourth Estate that continues to inform and inspire. Loyal readers validate the importance of our work by engaging with, and subscribing to, our news publications. We are proud to serve our local communities and are excited about our future. Sincerely, Bradford Simpson George Lynett, Jr. President Chairman, Board of Directors Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is proud to represent Pennsylvania’s news media organizations, including 76 daily newspapers, more than 175 non-daily publications, college newspapers, business journals, and several online-only news sites. Brad Simpson Holly Lubart Catie Gavenonis President Director, Government Affairs Melissa Melewsky 717.703.3076 Legislative Counsel 717.703.3032 Media Law Counsel [email protected] 717.703.3082 [email protected] 717.703.3048 [email protected] [email protected] www.panewsmedia.org Facebook Twitter facebook.com/PNAnews LinkedIn @PNAnews PA NewsMedia Association View this publication online at www.panewsmedia.org/local-journalism/ CONTRIBUTING NEWS ORGANIZATIONS Altoona Mirror Altoona The Intelligencer Doylestown The Philadelphia Inquirer Locals believe famous author Jack London Unwell Water: Unclear and Uncertain Danger Philadelphia once made his way through Claysburg This project required two years of investigative Toxic City-Sick Schools – Danger: Learn at Locals and experts consider whether a poem coverage and hundreds of stories detailing the your own risk written by a man passing through the area may be leaking of chemicals from area military bases into Using scientific testing and dogged door-to-door the earliest surviving example of author Jack an underground aquifer, exposing tens of reporting, reporters revealed how developers and London’s poetry. thousands of residents to unsafe drinking water. multiple government agencies failed to protect The series forced the U.S. military into grudging children from poisonous soil churned up by a tide Bucks County Herald Lahaska admissions of truth, galvanized local and national of gentrification. Solebury presents ambitious plan for 202 politicians and advocates to action, and led to the redevelopment closure of at least 22 public drinking-water wells. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh The township supervisors hired an architect to UNBROKEN: Tree of Life Synagogue show possibilities for future development. The The Meadville Tribune Meadville When an active shooter killed 11 people at the plan, which realigns roads and includes Refilling Tamarack Lake Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette apartments and businesses, created an uproar in Tamarack Lake was drained in mid-2012 due to reporters were on the scene all day, from the first the community and supervisors have been forced concerns about the safety of the dams. With the alert to the final vigil. Nine stories dominated the to develop a new plan. help of lawmakers, like state Sen. Michele Brooks, front section of the Sunday paper the next day. whose district includes all of the county, and The staff ultimately won a Pultizer Prize “For Butler Eagle Butler collaboration between various agencies, helped immersive, compassionate coverage of the Summit Elementary School water unsafe; make the reconstruction of the dams and the refill massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue District addresses water woes of the 562-acre lake possible. Brooks summed it that captured the anguish and resilience of a The well water at Summit Township Elementary up best when she said, “Truly this project shows community thrust into grief.” School was tested and found to have elevated what can be achieved when everyone unites toward the same goal and works together.” levels of lead and copper. The Butler Eagle learned The Public Opinion Chambersburg that the school district failed to correct the problem Ex-scoutmaster focus of sex abuse inquiry in a timely manner. The Butler County district The Mercury Pottstown Local scoutmaster and recipient of the attorney asked for a criminal investigation into the A Fair Fight: Pottstown brings 3 buses full of community’s Citizen of the Year award is the focus actions of school administrators. After the news people, passion to fair school funding rally. of a sex abuse inquiry. broke that school officials ignored the test results, The Mercury’s continued coverage of educational three district administrators resigned from their funding inequity has included editorials, news Reading Eagle Reading positions and a new superintendent was hired. articles, columns, blog posts and letters to the Unanswered questions: 8 overdose deaths editor. It has highlighted how the “hold harmless” at ADAPPT since Jan. 1, 2016 leave families The Caucus Lancaster provision may disproportionately harm students. without clarity Blowing His Stack Our continuing coverage helped grow Pottstown’s An appalling scenario of drug use and overdose The Caucus broke the story about an investigation participation in the annual rally from filling one bus deaths inside a state-funded halfway house in ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf into alleged last year to filling three this year. Reading, Pa., was unveiled by reporter Ford mistreatment of state workers by Lt. Gov. Mike Turner. Ford’s stories stirred outrage among Stack and his wife. The Morning Call Allentown Pennsylvania lawmakers, led to the scheduling of “Recover or Die”: First responders discuss a legislative hearing and caused the halfway Centre Daily Times State College their fears, frustrations on the front lines of house owner to plan a $4.5 million upgrade to the The Cost of Alcohol: A moneymaker, the drug epidemic facility. a burden, or both? In 2018, The Morning Call decided to change the State College thrives because of Penn State. But way they covered the Opioid epidemic – by The Republican-Herald Pottsville along with the many positives of living in a inviting community members into the newsroom No one’s running Mount Carbon university town, there are negatives, too. A major to brainstorm on solutions to the epidemic This story points to the ongoing concerns about a one is the cost of alcohol use. “The Cost of through 90-minute roundtables involving doctors, lack of civic involvement and the numerous Alcohol,” is a multipart series from the Centre treatment specialists, first responders and people elected positions that go unfilled in Pennsylvania Daily Times that explores the financial and human in recovery or their parents. The Morning Call municipalities. burdens that comes with it. assembled a team of five reporters, an editor and a photographer who fully invested in the series, The Roar Penn State Beaver The Corry Journal Corry attending the roundtables, developing sources in Shattered by Violence: Campus tries to cope Sparty mayor supports fire department’s the treatment community and telling the personal after shooting (domestic violence series) stories of so many whose lives were upended decision to re-elect sex offender as chief When one of Penn State Beaver’s chefs was killed through their own or someone else’s addiction. This series brought to light an egregious situation on campus, it shattered our world. The shooting that had been put into place without the public’s happened during fall finals week and we were knowledge. The exposure forced Roger L. Gilbert Morrisons Cove Herald Martinsburg unable to report on it for two months. Our Jr. to resign from his position and prompted the The Changing Cove students took this as an opportunity to look at the victim’s mother to seek legislation that would This series is an attempt to take a look at how the shooting through the wider lens of domestic prevent registered sex offenders from serving as Cove is changing, using facts and data to interpret violence while still honoring the victim and emergency first responders. that change for the Herald’s readers. The series reporting on the event itself. has reviewed the changes to multiple aspects of Daily American Somerset the community – farming, technology, jobs, The Sentinel Carlisle Report prompts shakeup at arena: An education and law enforcement, among others. I-81 Shooting: The lead up to murder apparent $130K no-bid contract went to a The Sentinel’s (Carlisle) series on an Interstate 81 company connected to the board’s chairman. New Castle News New Castle shooter’s criminal history found numerous This report resulted from several Right-to-Know Miranda spends Christmas in her forever missteps and failings of the criminal justice requests.