Why Lehigh Daily exists

I'm Jai, and I started Lehigh Daily in June 2024 because I couldn't find reliable local news on TikTok or Instagram.

Most people on these platforms aren't searching for local news or using Facebook where legacy outlets post. If I wasn't getting local news in my feed, I figured others weren't either.

I was born and raised in Bethlehem and graduated from Liberty High School in 2013. This is my community. I want to know what's happening here, and I want you to know too.

Some stuff we've done so far

We've covered ICE activity in Bethlehem and around the Valley. Our written reporting has reached nearly 1 million readers statewide. We ran a youth poetry contest and gave away $500 in cash prizes because why not support local creatives while we're at it?

We've also worked with Free Press to help advance legislation (HB2047/2048) that would create public funding for local newsrooms across Pennsylvania.

We're small. We show up anyway.

Where your money goes

Straight to reporting. No office rent, no executive salaries, no investors asking questions. Every dollar goes toward covering more school board and council meetings, and reporting on local events and culture, not just budgets and politics.

The ask

We're at 12 supporters right now. If we can reach 1,000 supporters at $5/month, we can hire our first full-time reporter. That's one coffee to help keep local news free for 700,000+ of your neighbors.

Thank you.

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Jai Smith, Founder

Support free, local media in the Lehigh Valley

Lehigh Daily is free, locally owned, and powered by readers like you. Every dollar given goes directly to reporting on news & events across Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.