There is an old saying in the news business: “Democracy dies in darkness.” But in the modern halls of government, darkness doesn’t always come from a closed door; sometimes, it comes from a quiet, obscure government website that no one visits.
On March 24, the Pennsylvania House will consider House Bill 1291, a critical piece of legislation designed to modernize how you — the taxpayer — are notified about the actions of your government. As a media company, we look at this through a dual lens: as a news organization dedicated to the public’s right to know, and as a business that understands the necessity of balancing the books. We all feel the squeeze of rising health care costs and utility bills, and the need for fair wages. Government is no different.
However, some proponents of moving public notices exclusively to government-run websites argue that newspapers are “antiquated” and that bypassing them will “save money.” We must ask ourselves: What is the true value of transparency, and what happens when we lose it?
In 2025, the total cost of public notice advertising to Westmoreland County taxpayers in the Tribune-Review was less than $2 per taxpayer. To put that in perspective, the price of ensuring a transparent government for an entire year is less than the cost of a single gallon of gas or a loaf of bread. For less than the cost of a trip to the convenience store, residents receive guaranteed, independent verification that their government is complying with the law regarding zoning changes, tax increases and multi-million-dollar contracts.
When you move these notices to a government-run website, you aren’t saving money; you are removing the independent check on the system. It is the equivalent of a company auditing its own financial records without any external oversight — a practice no responsible business or taxpayer should ever accept.
That $2 investment doesn’t disappear into a void; it goes directly back into your community’s infrastructure. It helps keep local journalists on the beat, attending school board meetings and investigating how your tax dollars are being spent.
Public notices and local journalism exist in a symbiotic relationship of accountability. The revenue from these notices supports the reporters who then follow up on the information they contain. When a notice about a new development or a municipal bond is published, it isn’t just a legal requirement — it’s a tip-off to our newsroom to start asking questions. By keeping notices in newspapers, we ensure a robust local press remains empowered to serve as a watchdog for the public.
The argument that we must choose between “old” print and “new” digital is a false choice. We recognize the world has changed, and HB 1291 reflects that reality by codifying a multi-platform approach. This bill isn’t about clinging to the past; it is about ensuring that public notices remain public in an increasingly digital world by requiring them to appear in both the printed newspaper and the news organization’s website.
It modernizes the process by requiring notices to be placed where the people already are. Our audience has never been larger. When you combine the Tribune-Review print editions with the millions of monthly visitors to TribLive.com, we reach more people in Western Pennsylvania than at any point in our history. We have already adapted: public notices appear prominently on our homepage, accessible to everyone, ensuring they are seen by people looking for local news — not just those who happen to know the exact URL of a government sub-page.
We don’t have to guess what happens when transparency is tucked away. When Florida allowed local governments to move notices to their own sites, public engagement plummeted. Officials claimed people would find the information, but data showed that the public simply didn’t know where to look, and there was no measurable increase in traffic to government-run websites.
Furthermore, a newspaper provides a permanent, third-party record. Unlike a government website, where a post can be edited, deleted, or lost during a server migration, our notices provide a legally binding, physical, and digital archive. A government staffer cannot tweak a notice after it has been published in the Tribune-Review or on TribLive. That independence is the bedrock of trust.
Transparency is a fundamental American value. It is the friction that keeps government honest and the light that prevents corruption. Removing that friction for the sake of a few cents is a poor bargain that will cost us much more in the long run.
We encourage you to call your local state representative before March 24. Tell them to support HB 1291. Let’s modernize our laws to ensure that the public stays informed, our local journalists stay on the beat and our government stays accountable to you.
Jennifer Bertetto is CEO of Trib Total Media.