WHYY's Keystone Project On Urban Decline

Philadelphia’s WHYY is taking a solutions-based approach to its new collaborative, multiplatform community journalism project, which explores urban decline and renewal in the Keystone State.

The project, Keystone Crossroads: Rust or Revival?, began June 23 with reporting via radio, television, newspapers, Web and social media.

Since funding for the project, a $1.5 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was announced in January, a staff of seven has been hired and partnerships with three other stations -- WESA in Pittsburgh, WPSU at Penn State and WITF in Harrisburg -- have been established. Pittsburgh’s WQED is an associate partner.

The goal, said Chris Satullo, WHYY vice president of news and civic dialogue, is to examine day-to-day life in Pennsylvania, where four out of 10 residents live in areas declared financially distressed. He said there has been little conversation about these issues in the state, and the timing is crucial, as gubernatorial and state legislative elections are coming up.