Always Lancaster: A “Gift” That Looks More Like a Power Grab

A response to ColumbiaSpy.com’s cheerleading of the LNP transfer

ColumbiaSpy.com recently applauded the announcement that veteran journalist David Greene will lead Always Lancaster, a nonprofit taking ownership of LNP | LancasterOnline. Pennon’s decision to hand over the paper as a “gift” is being spun as a philanthropic triumph. But Lancaster’s own newspaper history tells us this isn’t charity — it’s consolidation dressed up in nonprofit clothing.

Lancaster’s History of Broken Promises

• The 2009 merger of the Intelligencer Journal and Lancaster New Era was sold as efficiency. What readers got was fewer voices, fewer reporters, and a narrower editorial spectrum.
• Competing editorial stances once defined Lancaster’s press. The New Era leaned conservative, the Intelligencer Journal leaned liberal. That rivalry sharpened public debate. Nonprofit ownership risks flattening those differences into one donor‑approved narrative.
• The advertising collapse of the 1980s forced Lancaster papers to chase new funding models. The result? Staff cuts and weaker investigative reporting. Today’s nonprofit model could replicate that vulnerability, with donors replacing advertisers as the ones pulling strings.
• The 1990s pivot to “soft news” diluted watchdog journalism in favor of lifestyle fluff. If “audience engagement” becomes the new donor metric, expect more puff pieces and fewer hard truths.

Why ColumbiaSpy.com Got It Wrong

ColumbiaSpy.com paints this as a renaissance. In reality, Lancaster has seen this movie before: ownership changes wrapped in promises of independence, followed by cuts, consolidation, and diminished accountability. Nonprofit status doesn’t magically protect against donor influence or editorial homogenization.

The Real Risks

• Reduced competition: one voice, one agenda.
• Donor dependence: coverage shaped by philanthropy instead of community needs.
• Staffing cuts: “efficiency” always comes at the expense of reporters.
• Community trust erosion: when watchdog journalism is replaced by donor‑friendly narratives.

Conclusion

Lancaster’s press has survived floods, industrial collapse, and decades of shifting ownership. What it hasn’t survived well are promises of salvation through consolidation. If Always Lancaster wants to prove it’s different, it must reject the donor‑driven playbook and recommit to true editorial independence. Otherwise, this “gift” will be remembered as another power grab — and ColumbiaSpy.com’s applause will age about as well as the broken promises of 2009.