The Pennsylvania Capital-Star earns seven 2026 Keystone Awards

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star has been recognized by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association with seven Professional Keystone Media Awards in Division III, which is for multi-day publications with a circulation of up to 9,999. 

The number of awards is an all-time high for the organization. Five were first place honors, which is another record for us.

I’m particularly proud that the majority of the awards honor our coverage of some of last year’s top stories in the commonwealth. They include the firebombing of the governor’s residence, the chaotic impact Trump administration cuts had on Pennsylvania’s federal workforce and how the elimination of federal tax credits on health insurance premiums were hurting some Pennsylvanians.

Judges awarded the team — Peter Hall, Ian Karbal, John Cole and myself — first place for Breaking News coverage for its work to provide details and context for the April 13 attack on the governor’s residence and the man responsible for it. Coverage of what led Cody Balmer to an act of terrorism earned the staff a second place award in the Ongoing News category. 

Ian was honored with a first place award for News Beat Reporting for his persistent coverage of an underreported yet critically important issue — federal employee cuts in mine safety programs based in Pennsylvania. Among the stories included in the entry was the detailing of a move to halt almost all work at an Allegheny County lab that certifies the nation’s N95 masks and other respirators. 

He and I earned a first place award for Headline Writing, as well. 

Whitney Downard joined the Capital-Star in November 2025 and immediately started looking into the impact of the pending expiration of federal tax credits that reduced health insurance premium costs for Pennsylvanians using Medicaid. Her profile of Jamie and Carrie Wright of McKeesport and their struggles to come to terms with a 265% increase in their monthly premium was honored with a first place in the News Feature Story category. 

Now, you may know I’m a bit of a history buff. So not long after I took the helm at the Capital-Star, I followed up on a tip about how one man’s hunt for information about his great-uncle’s military service led him to the small French community of Gathemo, which in turn decided to honor the men of Pennsylvania’s 28th Division who liberated it in 1944. I soon learned how it also inspired an effort to find other families connected to the nine soldiers who gave their lives in the battle for Gathemo, but had no idea about their loved ones’ role in the fight.

I’m thrilled to say the story was honored with a first place award in the Feature Story category. It also earned a second place award in the Features Video category. Pvt. Irwin S. Fox’s family contributed photos and a recording for an audio slideshow featuring the soldier’s voice, nearly 81 years after his death around Gathemo.

You share in the recognition of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star’s work. Whether you know it or not, you play a role in our ability to — paraphrasing former Radio Television Digital News Association Executive Director Dan Shelley — commit “flagrant acts of responsible journalism” every day. 

You make it all possible simply by reading our stories, sharing our work, subscribing to the Morning Guide newsletter and donating your hard earned money to support our efforts to connect the dots on how policy decisions in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., impact you and your community.

So from Emily, Peter, Whitney, Ian and me, THANK YOU for holding us to a high standard every day and for trusting us to bring you factual, contextualized, nuanced and honest reporting on the policies and people shaping our great commonwealth. 

We are eternally grateful.