About Us
Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton are three cities making decisions that shape your life. Someone should be watching.
School budgets. City council votes. A neighborhood restaurant closing after 30 years. A nonprofit doing work most people never hear about. This valley has half a million people and a shrinking number of reporters paying attention to it. Lehigh Daily exists to close that gap — free, clear, and without a paywall in the way.
What we cover
Lehigh Daily covers local government, keeps residents informed, and reports on the community stories that other outlets overlook or put behind a paywall. We're an independent, free-to-read news outlet built for how people actually get their news today.
Our focus is local politics, government, community organizations, local talent, and the cultural and civic life of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. We don't chase ambulances or house fires. We're not a police blotter. We cover what has lasting relevance to the people who live here.
How it started
Lehigh Daily launched in June 2024. Founder Jai Smith — a new parent and Bethlehem resident — started paying closer attention to local government and found that the information was hard to access: locked behind paywalls, buried on slow websites, or not covered at all.
The outlets covering the Lehigh Valley were owned by out-of-state corporations. Their social media was an afterthought. The information existed, but it wasn't reaching people — and that bothered him enough to do something about it.
He built Lehigh Daily from scratch, entirely self-funded, and has run it daily ever since.
What we do differently
No paywall, ever
Every story is free. Local news is a public good, not a product.
Independently owned
Not owned by a media chain or outside investors. Our only obligation is to this valley.
Built for social
Original video content for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook — not just article links.
Fast & clean
No pop-ups, no ad overload. A site built to be read, not endured.
We verify first
Every story is checked through source documents, web research, and direct outreach.
Open corrections
When we get something wrong, we say so at the top of the story. No silent edits.
Editorially independent
No advertiser or sponsor influences what we cover. Coverage decisions are made by Jai alone.
We read our messages
Tips, corrections, complaints — we respond. Reach us on social or the contact form.
Who's behind this
Jai Smith
Founder & Editor — Bethlehem, PA
Jai Smith is the founder and editor of Lehigh Daily, covering local government and community across Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. He built the site from scratch in June 2024 and runs it daily — reporting, photography, video, and development. A full-stack developer by trade, Jai has appeared on Lenfest panels on creator journalism and the evolving news landscape, participated in Knight Media Forum events, appeared on WHYY, and works with Free Press on state legislation to fund local news. He lives in Bethlehem with his family.
Current Contributors
People covering the Lehigh Valley for Lehigh Daily right now.
Where the money comes from
12
Reader Supporters
$10
Avg. Monthly
$340
Lifetime Donations
Lehigh Daily is self-funded and supported by a small number of readers who donate monthly. We run occasional ads for local businesses, but reader support is the foundation. Every donation is visible on our public donation feed — we think you should know exactly who funds this outlet.
Support local journalism
Twelve readers make Lehigh Daily possible right now. If this outlet has kept you informed — if it's told you something you wouldn't have found elsewhere — consider joining them. Reader support is what keeps this free for everyone.
Support Lehigh Daily