Case Study: PennLive.com achieves dramatic traffic and public engagement with a Caspio-powered searchable pension database

PennLive.com Sparks Heated Discussions with Searchable Pension Database

PennLive.com, a Central Pennsylvania news site, faced the challenge of turning complex state pension records into an accessible public resource after Capitol Bureau Chief Jan Murphy’s reporting revealed public employees receiving six-figure annual pensions. The team needed a way to publish the data interactively to support the “Set for Life” series and spark public discussion.

Reporter Jan Murphy and web producer Megan Lavey Heaton used Caspio to build a searchable, sortable pension database (search by name or employer; sort by years of service and annuity). The tool quickly appeared on PennLive’s homepage, generated hundreds of comments and social shares, expanded into nine follow-up articles, and helped drive nearly a quarter-million views—showing how a Caspio-powered database amplified reporting and audience engagement.

PennLive.com

Jan Murphy

Capitol Bureau Chief