The Berkeley Beacon Explained
The Berkeley Beacon is the student newspaper of Emerson College, founded in 1947. The paper is published weekly on Thursdays during the fall and spring semesters of Emerson's academic year.
In 2012, the Beacon redesigned its website, making it the first college newspaper website with a responsive design.[1]
History
The first issue of The Berkeley Beacon was published on February 1, 1947, under the direction of editor-in-chief Paul Mundt.[2] According to lore, the paper was named after the college's location; at the time, Emerson was situated in Back Bay, at the confluence of Berkeley Street and Beacon Street. However the name might actually refer to the famous weather beacon atop the Berkeley Building, which was completed the same year.[3] [4]
The Beacon has contributed to several student movements at the college, including the first student demonstration in Emerson history in 1968. It published a letter from the college president Richard Chapin decrying the Vietnam War. In 1977, an editorial in the Beacon pointed out a number of inaccuracies in a college report which was attempting to secure accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1997, the Beacon broke a story about a female student's on-campus sexual assault, which the administration had failed to address.[2]
In April 2024, the Beacon covered the arrest of 118 student protesters during the nationwide demonstrations against the Israeli war in Gaza.[5] Its reporting was cited by both local and national outlets.[6] [7]
Notable alumni
- Morton Dean, television correspondent and news anchor for CBS Evening News and Good Morning America
- Ben Collins, media and disinformation reporter for NBC News
- Brendan McCarthy, investigative editor for The Boston Globes "Spotlight" team and 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner[8]
- Dan Bigman, former business editor of The New York Times and managing editor of Forbes
- Matt Porter, Boston Bruins beat writer for The Boston Globe
- Diti Kohli, business reporter for The Boston Globe and "Spotlight" team contributor[9]
- Andrew Brinker, housing reporter for The Boston Globe and "Spotlight" team contributor
- Tori Bedford, Emmy-nominated reporter for WGBH Radio
- Molly Driscoll, former culture editor for The Christian Science Monitor
- Cyndi Roy Gonzalez, former communications director for Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey
- Nathan Hurst, political editor for C-SPAN
- Chris Van Buskirk, state house reporter for the Boston Herald
- Dylan Rossiter, publisher for consumer products State House News Service
- Parker Purifoy, labor reporter for Bloomberg Law
Notes and References
- Web site: Phelps. Andrew. Emerson College student paper completes a fully responsive, mobile-friendly redesign. Nieman Journalism Lab. 10 April 2012.
- News: Celebrating 73 years of The Berkeley Beacon. February 6, 2020. The Berkeley Beacon.
- News: Landmark: The Berkeley Beacon . 28 April 2024 . Boston Magazine . 12 January 2010.
- Web site: Berkeley Weather Beacon.
- News: Developing story: The latest on 2 Boylston Place “Popular University Encampment” . 25 April 2024 . The Berkeley Beacon . 25 April 2024.
- News: Ryan . Aidan . ‘You want to get it right’: As Gaza protests roil Emerson, student journalists at center of dispute . The Boston Globe . 28 April 2024.
- News: Murphy Marcos . Coral . Columbia University calls for inquiry into leadership as student protests sweep 40 campuses . The Guardian . 27 April 2024.
- News: Emerson alum Brendan McCarthy named new Globe Spotlight editor . Valentina . Baez . The Berkeley Beacon.
- News: Arsenault . Mark . In towns like Milton, home prices are a threat to prosperity. But they don’t have to be . The Boston Globe . Oct 25, 2023.
