New website coming soon

The Pennsylvania Independent announced Thursday its transition from the Commonwealth Foundation and its new relationship with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a national nonprofit journalism organization.

As part of the Franklin Center, PA Independent will continue to provide non-profit, public-service journalism focused on the state Capitol in Harrisburg, with a particular eye towards the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars by the state government.

“As we begin our second year in Harrisburg, we are very excited about this transition to new management. The Franklin Center runs a number of very successful journalism projects across the country, and we are proud to be included among those ranks,” said Eric Boehm, managing editor of PA Independent. “This change will affect the internal workings of PA Independent, but we will continue to produce responsible and accountable coverage of state government.”

“The Franklin Center is honored to be working with PA Independent and their tremendously skilled and experienced reporting staff,” said Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center. “Over the next year, we know PA Independent will continue to produce top notch journalism and relentlessly fight to ensure that the elected officials of Pennsylvania are kept accountable to their electorate.”

As of Jan. 3, the Franklin Center began handling all managerial duties for PA Independent, including reporters’ salaries, payment of business expenses, and administration of the grants which fund PA Independent and this website.

Matthew Brouillette, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, said he was extremely pleased with the new arrangement.

“As more and more media outlets reduced or even eliminated coverage of the goings-on in our State Capitol, we helped launch Pennsylvania Independent one year ago today as a public interest journalism project dedicated to promoting open, transparent and accountable government,” said Brouillette.

“We are proud to have been a part of the PA Independent‘s inception and we look forward to its important contributions as member of the Fourth Estate,” said Brouillette. “The fact that PA Independent was able to get its sea legs in just one year, I think, demonstrates the real value it is adding to the news media in Pennsylvania.”

Boehm thanked the Commonwealth Foundation for getting PA Independent off the ground during the past year.

“We cannot thank the Commonwealth Foundation enough for the support they provided during our first year of operation. It’s obvious that we would not be here today without them, but it is time for us to move in a new direction,” said Boehm.

As part of the transition, PA Independent will launch a new website next month.

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About the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity promotes social welfare and civil betterment by undertaking programs that promote journalism and the education of the public about corruption, incompetence, fraud, or taxpayer abuse by elected officials at all levels of government. Founded in January of 2009, The Franklin Center is a nonpartisan organization that believes that new technology can advance the cause of transparency in government. The Franklin Center aims to educate, to advise and to train individuals and organizations from all backgrounds to become thorough, unbiased and responsible reporters well versed in new media techniques and journalistic integrity. For more information on the Franklin Center please visit www.FranklinCenterHQ.org.

**Note – To set up an interview with Franklin Center President Jason Stverak please contact Meghan Tisinger at Meghan.Tisinger@FranklinCenterhq.org or 202-680-9023.