Trib CEO Jennifer Bertetto recognized by Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association on Tuesday honored Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto with the 2021 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding service that reflects positively on the news industry in Pennsylvania.

Brad Simpson, president of the Harrisburg-based news association, praised Bertetto for being a passionate volunteer on local, national and international news media boards and a compassionate citizen who has supported local businesses during the pandemic.

“She has been a longtime advocate for the industry locally, regionally, nationally and now internationally and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is lucky to have her involved with our industry and organization and honored to present her with this year’s award,” Simpson said.

Bertetto, a Lower Burrell resident, has led the Trib as CEO since January 2015. Since that time, the Trib has emerged as a vital news organization that includes daily and weekly newspapers as well as TribLIVE.com, the most visited news website in the region.

Colleagues said she has championed innovation in the news industry while staying focused on the Trib’s goals to remain a vital partner to communities in Western Pennsylvania.

“We defend freedom of the press and freedom of speech, help facilitate public debate, hold those in power accountable, take a stand on complex issues and combat misinformation,” said Matt Miller, the Trib’s chief revenue officer. “These are the primary goals of our company, but we have had to evolve to support this business. We have a diversified portfolio through Jennifer’s leadership, including media, gaming, health care, events, artificial intelligence, and more. Jennifer has built a company poised to thrive, long term, despite the challenges of our industry.”

Bertetto said she is honored to join the list of esteemed past recipients of the Ben Franklin Award.

“When covid hit, everyone was working overtime to find a solution to help our advertisers,” she said. “So when we launched our Shop Local Grant program, we initially offered $250,000 in matching grants. Within a few hours, that money had been claimed. We quickly decided to up our match to $1 million.”

The program has continued through the end of the year, providing more than $2.5 million in advertising to local businesses.

“But, the pandemic isn’t over,” she said. “And now, our customers are facing challenges with inventory shortages and fighting to keep their businesses staffed. It is our role as community members to help these businesses through this challenging time, and it is mutually beneficial to our organization as well.”

Bertetto said she is fortunate to work with a board of trustees who understand that a solution for Trib Total Media won’t be enough to salvage local journalism for generations to come.

“Only when we collaborate with other media organizations can we truly find a new way forward for our industry,” she said.