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WATCH: A virtual Q&A with Spotlight PA’s new State College bureau

by Spotlight PA Staff |

Spotlight PA's State College bureau covers north-central Pennsylvania.
Abby Drey / Centre Daily Times

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

To further our commitment to using public service journalism to connect and inform communities across Pennsylvania, this summer Spotlight PA launched a regional bureau in State College.

Our team of four covers north-central Pennsylvania, focusing on local government accountability, issues that affect rural communities, and Penn State, one of the state’s largest and most influential institutions.

The bureau already has published a range of stories, from a report on salary data in Centre County to an investigation of water contamination in Benner Township. We also have launched a weekly newsletter, Talk of the Town, that rounds up our coverage, highlights other local reporting, and showcases north-central Pennsylvania’s many communities.

We spent more than a year building the bureau, and part of that work included attending community events, meeting with officials and community members, and coordinating with other newsrooms in the region.

This event was a continuation of those conversations. Watch below to meet the staff of our new bureau, get a behind-the-scenes look at our coverage, and learn how to contact us with feedback or story tips.

Our panelists were:

  • Sarah Rafacz, State College editor

  • Ashad Hajela, rural affairs reporter

  • Wyatt Massey, Penn State investigative reporter

  • Min Xian, local accountability reporter

» Spotlight PA’s events operate on a “pay-what-you-can” honor system. If you value this public-service event, pay it forward and contribute any amount to Spotlight PA now so we can keep our programming free for everyone: spotlightpa.org/donate.