Spotlight Delaware is pleased to share two podcast series with you.
Beyond the Headlines will take you inside the story and into the minds of our reporters, sharing insights beyond what shows up on our website and in our newsletters. The podcast is hosted by David Stradley, Director of Community Engagement.
Delaware Newsmakers provides you with longform, conversational interviews with key figures in the First State. The podcast is hosted by Jacob Owens, Editor in Chief.
Episodes from 2026 can be found on this page. Catch up on episodes from last year HERE.
Beyond the Headlines: Inside the Loitering Debate – Dover & Wilmington
(February 26, 2026)
Since late 2024, municipalities across Delaware have been struggling with how to pass and enforce ordinances related to loitering and panhandling. The cause of the struggle was an agreement reached between the Delaware Department of Justice and the ACLU directing police in Delaware to no longer enforce current loitering and solicitation laws in public spaces.
Wilmington reporter Brianna Hill and Rural Communities reporter Maggie Reynolds join the podcast to discuss how this issue has been showing up in Delaware’s two biggest cities. The decisions Dover and Wilmington reach could provide a template for how other towns in Delaware try to address the issue.
Articles connected to this episode:
Jennings talks updated loitering bill, lawmakers express frustrations
Debate grows as Wilmington crafts new loitering ordinance
Dover residents, officials divided ahead of panhandling vote
Beyond the Headlines: Reflecting on the Property Reassessment Data Map
(February 19, 2026)
Editor-in-Chief Jacob Owens talks about Spotlight Delaware’s months-long project looking at the results of Delaware’s first reassessment of property values in more than 40 years. Working with Tech Impact, Spotlight produced an interactive map showing how the state’s tax burdens and property assessments have shifted in that time.
In his accompanying reporting, Jake highlights questions around the outcome of the reassessment prompted by the data map, including whether the reassessment will help Delaware achieve equity in education funding.
Beyond the Headlines: Shining a Light on the Housing Needs of Disabled Adults
(January 29, 2026)
Reporter Julia Merola joins the podcast to discuss her article ‘Afraid to Die’: Parents of Disabled Adults Struggle to Find Housing. The article profiles three families who are concerned they will not be able to provide supportive housing for their adult children with disabilities before the parents pass away.
Merola shares how a previous article built trust and connections in the disability community that led directly to this article, how she worked to draw readers into an issue they may not have personal experience with, and why she thinks a profile like this has strong news worthiness even though it’s not breaking news.
Beyond the Headlines: Reporting on Homelessness
(January 15, 2026)
In the last week of 2025, five members of Spotlight Delaware’s reporting team created a five-part series on Homelessness in Delaware. At a time of year where news readership normally dips, this series resulted in some of the Spotlight’s highest readership numbers in several months. In this episode, reporters Olivia Marble, Brianna Hill and Nick Stonesifer discuss the collaborative nature of reporting on this issue and how the team worked to ensure that the voices of people experiencing homelessness were centered in this series. Plus, how losing your photo SD card can end up being a blessing in disguise.
Articles connected to this episode:
Homelessness Series Archives
Beyond the Headlines: 2025 Reporter Reflections
(December 24, 2025)
In this last “Beyond the Headlines” episode for 2025, each member of Spotlight Delaware’s nine-person reporting team reflects on the stories that meant the most to them in the year. From government accountability to long-term investigations, community profiles to breaking news, learn what stuck out to our reporters in 2025. Moms, farmers, politicians, abuse victims and more are all featured in these reflections.
Articles connected to this episode:
Delaware abuse victim rescued from ICE deportation
Delaware soybean farmers remain optimistic amid dropping prices
Years of violations, but few consequences for MeadowWood
Wilmington mom struggles to secure therapy for son with autism
A decade after Bradley abuse case, survivors still seek help
Trans youth face care crisis in Delaware as health options shrink
Late-night compromise ends legislative standoff over offshore wind
DelDOT investigating land deal struck with a chief planner’s business partner
Democrats feud over Sussex chair’s sex offender past
Beyond the Headlines: Concerns Around Redding Consortium Redistricting Plans
(December 11, 2025)
Education reporter Julia Merola talks about the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity and specifically its process to make a recommendation for reworking school district boundaries in Wilmington. She recaps the background of the consortium and the details of the December 16th vote to move forward with a redistricting plan. Julia also discusses why the work of the consortium, which had been flying under the radar, has recently been receiving a lot more public focus – and with that, some public confusion and public pushback.
Plus, learn when being a 4’11” reporter has downsides.
Articles connected to this episode:
What is the Redding Consortium?
‘We were bulldozed’: The history of Wilmington’s school system