There have been far too many examples this year of media companies putting profits and politics above public service. Many people are tuning out, turning away, or feeling like the media no longer serves them. That frustration is legitimate.
But so is the opportunity to say enough is enough.
At Spotlight PA — an independent, unbiased statewide newsroom — we're charting a bold, fresh new course that restores fearless investigative and public-service journalism in Pennsylvania, demands accountability from those in power, and gets real results.
So as you consider the causes and organizations to support this week, I ask you to invest in nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism that’s getting the job done. These final days of the year will determine how ambitious we can be in our reporting in 2026, and that’s why two generous donors have agreed to TRIPLE every dollar you contribute until 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31.
We're proving every day that accountability reporting can be rigorous without being partisan, that investigations can follow the facts without an agenda, and that a newsroom can earn trust across the political spectrum by simply doing the work with integrity.
If not for Spotlight PA, we’d still be in the dark about serious shortcomings within Pennsylvania’s program to protect older adults from abuse and neglect — an issue that unfolded in the shadows until our sustained coverage brought it to light and led to new legislation.
If not for Spotlight PA, teen volunteers who said they were harassed, groped, and pressured into sex by adults at a popular haunted attraction in Lancaster would still be unheard and unknown.
If not for Spotlight PA, patients of Penn State Cancer Institute would still be unaware of documented medical mistakes and “toxic” leadership of its director, who resigned a day after our investigation was published.
More than 10,000 of your friends and neighbors — people just like you from every corner of Pennsylvania, of all political backgrounds — support Spotlight PA as a bright spot in a media landscape too often marred by partisan talking points and questionable corporate decisions.
They've invested in journalism that serves the public interest and no one else.
Now, we want you to join them.
We’re not perfect, our journalism can sometimes be unpopular, and you may not love everything we write. That's OK. In fact, that's the hallmark of honest, independent, nonpartisan reporting. But fundamentally, for the good of our country, we can't afford to leave those with power and influence — especially government — to their own devices and without sustained scrutiny.
I have seen firsthand how an investment in Spotlight PA can yield one of the greatest returns in public good of any you can make this season of giving.
Make a tax-deductible gift to Spotlight PA of any amount at spotlightpa.org/donate, and as a special bonus, all contributions sent this week will be TRIPLED. You can also send a check to: Spotlight PA, PO Box 11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728.
Christopher Baxter is the CEO and President of Spotlight PA, a nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that gets results.