WVIA Awarded Grant to Expand Local Environmental Journalism

WVIA was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, to support expanded environmental journalism, strengthening local reporting on critical issues affecting Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.

The funding will allow WVIA News to deepen coverage of environmental topics, including water use, energy demand, land impact, and community concerns related to proposed data centers in the region.

The grant marks WVIA’s first funding specifically dedicated to environmental journalism and will support reporting by WVIA journalists Kat Bolus and Isabela Weiss, who are embedded in the communities they cover and respond directly to issues raised by local residents.

WVIA has also identified a growing need for sustained environmental reporting based on community feedback gathered at community events, and, especially, through its News Listening Tours across 22 counties.

“WVIA plays an essential role in helping our region stay informed and connected to the issues shaping daily life in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “Through the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, we are proud to support environmental journalism that helps ensure communities have access to clear, reliable information about topics that matter.”

As part of this initiative, WVIA News will produce a series of in-depth stories examining the effects of data centers on water resources, power infrastructure, and surrounding communities, with additional investigative reporting to follow. These stories will be featured across WVIA’s platforms, including radio, digital, and video, and collected on a dedicated landing page to serve as an ongoing public resource.

WVIA has already begun reporting on data center proposals in the region, with multiple stories by reporter Kat Bolus available at wvia.org.

“For many, data centers are shrouded in uncertainty despite how much they’re demanding from communities where they will coexist,” said Faith Golay, WVIA News Managing Editor. “By providing in-depth coverage on the subject, our reporting raises awareness, educates residents and property owners, promoting dialogue between parties to address challenges and explore areas of opportunity.”

In addition to expanded reporting, WVIA will further explore the topic through its flagship public affairs program, Keystone Edition. The episode titled Data Centers: Deal or Dilemma? examines what data centers are, how they are used and why they have become a point of debate locally.

Through this grant-funded initiative, WVIA continues its mission to provide trusted, in-depth local journalism that equips residents with the information they need to understand complex issues and participate meaningfully in civic life.

For existing and upcoming WVIA News coverage of data centers, visit this page.