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, an ambitious, statewide, and reader-funded newsroom based in Harrisburg with the mission of holding the powerful in Pennsylvania to account through hard-hitting investigative 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 75 community newsrooms across Pennsylvania. And we continue to grow.

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

Spotlight PA’s independent team is stationed just two blocks from the Capitol, and our investigative reporters include Pennsylvania veterans and other accomplished journalists recruited from across 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. Many of these areas have gone without serious scrutiny from the press 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 our readers and 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 journalism we all need and deserve. Together, we can hold the powerful to account.

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

This story was made possible by donations to our independent, nonprofit newsroom.

Can you help us keep going with a gift?

We’re Pittsburgh’s Public Source. Since 2011, we’ve taken pride in serving our community by delivering accurate, timely, and impactful journalism — without paywalls. We believe that everyone deserves access to information about local decisions and events that affect them.

But it takes a lot of resources to produce this reporting, from compensating our staff, to the technology that brings it to you, to fact-checking every line, and much more. Reader support is crucial to our ability to keep doing this work.

If you learned something new from this story, consider supporting us with a donation today. Your donation helps ensure that everyone in Allegheny County can stay informed about issues that impact their lives. Thank you for your support!