John M. Baer, a widely known and respected journalist, passed away onSeptember 24, 2026, at his home in New Cumberland, surrounded by his familywhere he was receiving hospice care after a long illness, according to an obituary published by Musselman Funeral Home & Cremation Services Inc.
Baer spent 20 years as a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, earning a reputation for sharp, punchy analysis of state government and Pennsylvania politics. His career covered the halls of the Capitol Newsroom in Harrisburg, where his father, John H. Baer, had previously worked as a correspondent for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Early Career and Transition to Broadcasting
Born in Harrisburg, Baer graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School in 1965 and Mt. St. Mary’s University in 1969. After spending three years as a high school English teacher, he entered journalism in 1972 as a reporter for the Harrisburg Evening News. In an oral history interview for the Department of Journalism at Penn State, Baer noted that he started in general assignment reporting before gravitating toward politics.
After four years with the paper and a one-year Congressional Fellowship in Washington, D.C., Baer joined public television station WITF in 1978 as a public television producer. During his tenure at WITF, he produced award-winning programs, including a documentary on the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident, and served as a contributing editor for Philadelphia Magazine. He also worked under the pen name “Phantom Diner” writing restaurant reviews for WITF’s Apprise magazine.
State Politics and Capitol Reporting
Leaving broadcasting, Baer entered government service as press secretary to Lieutenant Governor Bill Scranton, acting on the belief that policy advancement relied directly on politics. Following Scranton’s unsuccessful gubernatorial run in 1986, Baer returned to journalism, covering state government for the Philadelphia Daily News from the Capitol Newsroom in Harrisburg.
After a dozen years covering state politics, Daily News editor Zack Stalberg suggested Baer transition to a columnist role. Over the next two decades, Baer utilized his insider perspective from his time in the Scranton administration to write about Harrisburg politics. His writing style combined direct reporting with sharp commentary, summarized by his guiding philosophy: “I don’t write to make you think like me, I just write … to make you think.”
Later Work and Professional Accolades
Baer collected his columns in the 2012 book On the Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics—Twenty-five Years of Keystone Reporting. Following his tenure at the Daily News, he continued writing a political column for PennLive, the online affiliate of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, until shortly before his death.
His academic credentials included a master’s degree from Temple University, studies at the Brookings Institution, and fellowships with the American Political Science Association and Loyola Law School. Among his honors, the National Journal named him one of the top 10 political journalists outside Washington, D.C. He also received the Ben Franklin Award of Excellence from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and induction into the Pennsylvania News Media Hall of Fame.
Surviving Family and Funeral Arrangements
Baer was a longtime member of Saint Theresa Catholic Church in New Cumberland. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Theresa Catholic Church, located at 1300 Bridge Street in New Cumberland.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rosemary Ruggeri Baer; sons Johnny Baer of Atlanta, Georgia, and James Baer of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania; daughter-in-law Melissa Baer; and three grandchildren, Aiden, Owen, and Emma. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be directed to Vickie’s Angel Foundation in New Cumberland.
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