Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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Pennsylvanians have not been spared from the emergence of news deserts, which have affected every corner of the nation. In light of government efforts to cut or abolish funds for public news sources, the decline of community newspapers, and the financial struggles of commercial media, does the average Pennsylvanian have enough information to navigate daily life?

Featured:

Chris Baxter, CEO & President, Spotlight PA, Harrisburg
Cindi Lash, Vice President, News, WESA Public Radio, Pittsburgh
Jess McAllister, Executive Editor, Centre Daily Times, State College
Shawn Mooring, Head of Philadelphia Programs, Lenfest Institute
Jim Brady (moderator), former Vice President, Journalism, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Recorded on Oct. 16, 2025, as part of "Free Speech at the Crossroads: A Keystone Dialogue," a convening of discussions on challenges to Free Speech and other First Amendment freedoms at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of American democracy.