America’s future depends on a thriving free press, and it’s time we take it back
BY CHRISTOPHER BAXTER OF SPOTLIGHT PA ON DEC. 16, 2024
(Vicky Vellios Briner / Spotlight PA)
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.
The press is the only profession specifically named and protected in the United States Constitution. And that’s because our founders knew it was inextricably linked to the success of our states, our country, and our young republic.
Yet, most people’s experience with the news lately has been terrible. Extreme financial pressure has led to fewer trusted local reporters and diminished local reporting, while national media — especially cable news — has gotten louder and more divisive.
Many people are tuning out, turning away, or worse, vilifying journalism as the enemy. Yet regardless of our political affiliations, we pledge allegiance to one shared country, and the future of that country is inextricably linked to the future of a free press.
So what are we to do in this pivotal moment?
Five years ago, we launched Spotlight PA (spotlightpa.org) to take journalism back. We formed an independent, strictly nonpartisan newsroom to keep our state and local governments honest, track our tax dollars, and hold our elected leaders to account.
And we chose a nonprofit business model to ensure our journalism answers to you — not shareholders, profit margins, or a billionaire owner. Our financial success is tied directly to your support, so we prioritize unique, compelling reporting above all else.
The impact of Spotlight PA’s founding resonates with every story we write. We’ve saved taxpayers millions of dollars, uncovered broken government programs and gotten people life-changing help, and held lawmakers and powerful institutions accountable for their actions — sometimes leading to legislative and policy changes.
What’s more, we share our stories at no cost with more than 130 other news outlets across Pennsylvania — including this one — to bring you more and better coverage.
We believe investigative and public-service journalism is the highest calling of our profession, fulfilling the mandate set forth 236 years ago when our constitution was ratified. As Thomas Jefferson said, if offered a choice between “a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government,” he would always choose the latter.
Our journalism can sometimes be unpopular, and you may not love everything we write. That’s OK. In fact, that’s the hallmark of 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.
That’s why I’m asking for your support today at spotlightpa.org/donate. These final days of 2024 are critical to sustaining and growing Spotlight PA’s trusted, nonpartisan reporting in the year to come.
Your gift of any amount is tax-deductible, and every dollar you contribute by Dec. 31 will be doubled by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. If you prefer to send a check, mail it to: Spotlight PA, PO Box 11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728.
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. You don’t have to love all that journalism has become, but you need to support the journalism you value.
We cannot afford the alternative.
Christopher Baxter is the CEO & President of Spotlight PA (spotlightpa.org).
BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
