Reflection | A Second Gilded Age Is Here – The First One Was Buried by ‘Muckraking’ Journalists

Breaker boys in the early 20th century in Pennsylvania's anthracite

An investigation into one of the world's richest men, his basketball team, and an attempt to go around the NBA salary cap sent me looking back to investigative journalism of the past. In a rapidly devolving media landscape, the digging done by Pablo Torre and his team is reminiscent of how the muckrakers of the Gilded Age uncovered the truth about the world's richest and most powerful men. Read my full reflection.

Article highlights history of my hometown on eve of its 200th anniversary | Williamstown, PA

Williamstown Pennsylvania around 1900

As my hometown of Williamstown, Pennsylvania nears its 200th anniversary in 2026, a new article at PennLive looks at how coal built the town, shaped generations of workers, and left a lasting mark on the landscape. Read the full story.

Introducing “The Gazette” – A podcast about a Coal Region town during the Civil War

A podcast that explores the Civil War experiences of Pittston, Pennsylvania and its weekly newspaper.

Letters from War – Responding to letters from home and commenting on Pine Grove high school basketball – February 1945

Irvin Schwartz comments on the mail he's received from home in Pennsylvania and how letters that have nothing to do with the war were his favorites.

Interviews with women during the 1900 Coal Strike reveal details of hardship and struggle in the patch towns near Hazleton

A women reporter documents the lives and struggles of working class women on the outskirts of Hazleton in 1900.