Armed with a two-year CPB grant, five Pennsylvania pubcasters are collaborating to explore issues facing cities in the Keystone State.
CPB spokesperson Kelly Broadway confirmed that the grant supports the specialized reporting unit as one of two new Local Journalism Centers, multi-station news operations that produce multimedia reporting on topics of statewide or regional interest. “Once we have received signed contracts from all the stations involved, CPB will issue a press release” with details on both, she said.
The Pennsylvania center will focus on the causes and cures of the financial distress of urban communities throughout the state, according to an online report published by WITF in Harrisburg, one of five participating stations. “The data-driven, multimedia approach will aim to sustain a connected, contextualized, statewide reporting on urban challenges,” the report said.
Reporters will also be based at lead station WHYY in Philadelphia, WPSU in State College and WESA and WQED in Pittsburgh.
The initiative also aims to build on StateImpact Pennsylvania, part of an NPR-led national public-policy reporting partnership that scaled back in May.