Member Spotlights

As 2024 draws to a close, we take this opportunity to reflect on the incredible strides we have made at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The year was filled with exciting new initiatives, steadfast legislative advocacy, and the launch of our 100th anniversary celebration – all which contributed to our unwavering support for our members.

The 2024 Keystone Media Awards banquet, held Oct. 17 in Harrisburg, brought together many of the best and brightest journalism professionals from across the commonwealth. Some attendees were news media veterans with storied careers; others were young journalists being recognized for the first time. This is the story of two such recipients.

Ciavaglia and Garcia are from different generations: one is a seasoned, consummate professional and the other is an up-and-coming talent from out of the blue. They both prove that the state of journalism in Pennsylvania will not only continue to flourish but provide communities with the positive impact only local journalism can deliver.

Lebanon County’s digital news outlet, LebTown, is expanding its popular coverage of local municipal meetings and introducing a new initiative to serve the county’s growing Hispanic community. The announcement was made during a community listening event at the Lebanon Community Library.

The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association is a statewide trade association advocating the views of the food and beverage industries. Its membership includes convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers, distributors, and consumer product vendors of all sizes operating in Pennsylvania and beyond. Operating since 1952, PFMA prides itself on the innovative ways it serves the commonwealth’s food and beverage industries.

Since 1941, White Birch Paper has been a global leader in the paper industry, producing a wide range of products from its three mills in Quebec — Stadacona, Papier Masson and F.F. Soucy. The company manufactures newsprint, commercial paper, book paper, specialty papers, paperboard, and 100% recycled kraft paper, serving customers across North America and worldwide.

Philadelphia is home to a variety of niche and alternative news outlets. These publications and websites target specific segments of the population based on demographics, lifestyles or hobbies. A handful of publishers in the market take a narrower approach and devote time and resources to cover a specific theme. One such website, growing in popularity over the years, covers a subject near and dear to many Philadelphia sports fans – basketball.

City of Basketball Love is a digital news site dedicated to the high school and college basketball scene of southeastern Pennsylvania; the NBA and WNBA are not covered.

Over the last 30 years, the advisors of Clelan and Company have supported their clients through bull and bear markets, and helped navigate them through recessions and periods of economic growth and prosperity. Today is no different, and PNA is proud to partner with the team behind Clelan and Company.

With a combined 70 years of experience helping highly successful individuals and companies build, manage, and conserve net worth, the financial advisors of Clelan and Company are experts in the realms of investment management, qualified retirement plan design and implementation, executive compensation arrangements, business succession planning, estate planning and insurance planning.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is proud to count Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association as one of its prominent affiliate member.

Since 1997, MABA has advocated for biosolids resource recovery on behalf of the wastewater profession that results in sustainable solutions. MABA’s partnership with PNA helps them further their mission to communicate the benefits of biosolids resources within the biosolids community and the communities they serve.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association shines the spotlight on longtime affiliate member Kreischer Miller. For 20 years, they have managed the financial accounts of PNA and the PNA Foundation with exemplary results.

As emerging forms of digital media increasingly complement and reshape traditional news sources, two divisions of the Times News Media Group, the Times News, Lehighton, and Lehigh Valley Press, Allentown, are revitalizing the role of print news in education through their Newspapers in Education program.

In collaboration with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, this initiative brings local newspapers directly into classrooms across the region, offering students a unique and engaging way to connect with their community while honing their academic skills.

Nationwide, the NIE program has deep roots, dating back to the 1930s when educators in New York City first requested that The New York Times be delivered to their classrooms. The concept quickly spread, and by the mid-1960s, over 100 newspapers across the United States had embraced the program. Despite a decline in print newspaper readership with the advent of the internet, the Times News and Lehigh Valley Press are proving that local newspapers still have a vital role in education.

Times News Media Group team members spearheading the NIE program include, clockwise from lower left, Bob Ardle, district manager; Christine Campbell, director of circulation and community outreach; YairaGonzalez, delivery driver; and Abelina Barra, digital director. Not pictured are Ali Thakrar, graphic designer; Janie Yacubeck, customer service manager; and Rich Danyo, distribution manager.

In the farmlands of southern Chester County, the staple crop that drives the local economy may be a surprise to some.  It’s not corn, wheat or soybeans; it is the mighty mushroom. In fact, Pennsylvania ranks first nationally in mushroom production. To honor the region’s celebrated superfood, visitors gather every September for the annual Mushroom Festival, a weekend-long street party dedicated to the formidable fungi. At the forefront of the festivities is the mainstay local newspaper, the Chester County Press.

A staple of the community in its own right, the Chester County Press has worked closely with the Mushroom Festival for 39 years, producing an informative guide that helps people navigate the weekend. What started as a small special section in the newspaper has morphed today into a glossy, tab-sized brochure that includes community-focused editorial content, recipes, a street map of the festival in Kennett Square, vendors, sponsors and more. Under the supervision of Director of Advertising Alan Turns, the guide contains a plethora of local advertisers eager to promote their services.

For many, mid-August is a time when plans for autumn begin to take shape. It’s also a chance for communities to celebrate summer one last time. In Perry County that celebration is the annual fair. For local communities the Perry County Fair Special Section, produced and distributed by Advance Publications of Perry and Juniata Counties, is the quintessential guide for the weeklong event.

Advance Publications of Perry and Juniata Counties prints and inserts the special section into its three weekly newspapers serving Perry County: the Newport News-Sun, Perry County Times and Duncannon Record. The papers are delivered to subscribers and available at newsstands the Thursday prior to the start of the fair. “Our company’s newspapers first did a fair section in 1978, which was the eighth year of the current or modern Perry County Fair,” Publisher Curt Dreibelbis said. “The special sections have ranged in size and presentation over the years, from broadsheet to tabloids and back to broadsheet.”

It has been a banner year so far for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The illustrious publication, which celebrated its 195th anniversary in June, recently rolled out a multiplatform brand campaign, including a version with the iconic “I” of its logo made to look like a birthday cake. The campaign won gold for Best Brand Awareness in the 2024 International News Media Association Global Media Awards. The media company hosted an all-staff party at a local beer garden near The Inquirer’s Center City headquarters, complete with a delicious custom-made cake by pastry chef Ashley Huston of DreamWorld Bakes in Philadelphia. In addition, subscribers received personal thank-you notes in the mail from Inquirer staff.

Ashley Huston of DreamWorld Bakes in Philadelphia, with her custom-made cake to celebrate The Inquirer’s 195th anniversary. Photo by Evan S. Benn. 

Once a month in Harrisburg, TheBurg hosts and organizes “3rd in the Burg,” a celebration of the city’s rapidly growing arts and cultural scene.

Since its inception in 2009, “3rd in the Burg” has become a hallmark of Harrisburg’s burgeoning arts scene, drawing residents and visitors alike to explore the diverse offerings of downtown and Midtown venues. From galleries to theaters, cafes to boutiques, the city opens its doors wide, inviting everyone to partake in an even of creativity and connection.

Hanna Webster has taken local journalism in Pittsburgh by storm. Since joining the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a health journalist in August 2022, she has garnered awards and recognition from esteemed organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism. and the International Association of Business Communicators. This year is no different. Webster, 27, has won the 2024 Lenfest Institute Emerging Journalist Award, part of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Keystone Media Awards. She is recognized for her work covering the opioid crisis, the Supreme Court Dobbs decision ending the federal right to an abortion and a Pittsburgh teen’s advocacy for brain cancer. “I am honored to be chosen for this award,” she said.

For over a century and a half, the Butler Eagle has been a trusted voice of Butler County, delivering the narratives of its residents with authenticity and dedication. In its latest endeavor to amplify community voices, the publication proudly presents the Alter Eagle podcast, an innovative platform hosted and produced by Laura Crago.

Alter Eagle exceeds the conventional bounds of storytelling. The podcast offers an insider perspective into the lives within Butler County through its seasons, each dedicated to exploring a distinct facet of local life.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association welcomes TV/radio station and PBS-NPR news affiliate WVIA as its newest member. With a rich history dating back to 1963, WVIA has served the citizens of Northeast and Central Pennsylvania with news, educational, music, and arts programming. Based in Pittston, the non-profit station serves a 22-county region area stretching from Williamsport to Schuylkill County and all communities in between.

The events that precipitated WVIA’s membership into PNA started two years ago under the leadership of President and CEO Carla McCabe. She devised a plan to reinvigorate the newsroom with a heavy focus on local journalism. “WVIA News began in 2022 with the mission to develop a trusted source of local news that would foster deeper conversations and facilitate change in our region,” McCabe said.

Defying the digital tide, the Lebanon County Bulletin stands as an excellent example of the enduring power of print journalism. Founded in May 2023 by Jake Keiter, this weekly tabloid-size newspaper serves as Lebanon County’s trusted source for local news and community engagement.

Located in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, the Lebanon County Bulletin embodies the essence of community journalism. Its pages are filled not only with columns, photos and announcements, but also with the heartbeat of the local area — from government proceedings and school board meetings to vibrant community events and business updates.

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader’s guide to the physical and mental health of area children and teens.

It’s common practice for newspapers to publish special sections that correspond with seasonal events and special occasions. Editions concerning health-related issues, such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October or Heart Month in February are important to newspaper readers. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. With that in mind, the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader has published a unique, new health and wellness supplement focused exclusively on kids, teens and young adults.

In the spring of 2019, Sherri Growden embarked on a journey that would ultimately lead her back to the heart of southwestern Pennsylvania’s Bedford County. Accepting a new role at the Emporia Gazette in Kansas, an esteemed Pulitzer Prize-winning publication, Growden found herself immersed in the world of journalism. Her connection to magazines blossomed during this time, laying the groundwork for a transformative endeavor yet to come.

The call that changed everything came swiftly – news of impending grandmotherhood beckoned Growden back to her roots.

Recognizing her indispensable role in Bedford County, she was thrilled to see her previous position at the Bedford Gazette reinstated that same year under the guidance of Publisher Joseph A. Beegle. It was here that Growden’s vision for a groundbreaking initiative began to take shape, aligning perfectly with the county’s imminent 250th anniversary celebration in 2020.

It’s fair to say, at some point in our lives, we have all been afforded a second chance of some kind. Maybe it’s happened on a professional level or in a personal relationship. Maybe it’s a reconciliation with one’s own self. It can derive from a mistake quickly forgiven or a serious lapse in judgment that takes considerable time and effort to amend. Second chances aren’t always easy to come by. In most cases, they must be earned through self-improvement, humility and trust.

Jason Stepp of the Indiana Gazette made a commitment to himself, and others, to turn his life around after years of addiction. His second chance gave him the ability to regain control of his life. But it also gave him a moment of clarity, that he could “pay it forward” and help others in the same situation. “Everybody deserves a second chance,” Stepp said. He has honored his word.

Hyperlocal journalism at the Chestnut Hill Local and the stories that bind a community together

In an era dominated by digital media giants and sprawling news conglomerates, the heartbeat of communities often finds its rhythm in the pages of hyperlocal newspapers.

In Philadelphia, the Chestnut Hill Local stands as a testament to the power of grassroots journalism, echoing the voices and stories of its neighborhood. At the core of the paper’s mission is the profound belief in the value of community. Local newspapers like the Chestnut Hill Local don’t just report on their community. They embody it.

One never knows when inspiration will strike. For Paul Bennett, publisher of the Spirit newspapers in Delaware County and West/Southwest Philadelphia, it materialized on a routine drive home.

The Spirit management team was looking for solutions to a nagging issue: printing enough papers to saturate the market. While passing a local graphic design business, Bennett noticed a parked car visible from the highway, the vehicle wrapped bumper to bumper with a company logo. He had an epiphany: a company car operating in its official business capacity while “side hustling” as a mobile brand-marketing tool. In early 2023, planning started in earnest.