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Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Former Editor-in-Chief Chris Van Buskirk in front of a very legendary establishment.

After 1,033 days, an editor says farewell

By Chris Van Buskirk, Former Editor-in-Chief / June 30, 2020

It was a Tuesday around 6:50 p.m. when shots rang out across Boston Common. Students were told to shelter in place several minutes later but a young...

Journalism professor Mark Lecesse

New fall course revives Emerson Student News Service

By Faith Bugenhagen / May 12, 2020

The journalism department will restart the student-run Emerson Student News Service this fall to provide students and professors within the department...

Continuing campus news coverage amid a global pandemic

Continuing campus news coverage amid a global pandemic

By Editorial Board / March 16, 2020

It’s been a hectic week, to say the least. There are 197 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts as of Monday, according to public health officials....

"In the age of rapid globalization, breaking news happening on the other side of the world could have an impact on people who are living in America." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Integrate news from around the world into your news diet

By Jiachen Liu / November 12, 2019

I learned about the protests in Chile while having dinner with a friend who works as a telescope researcher in Chilean labs for the University of California,...

"Yes, on the surface, “A” means success, and “F” means failure. But neither of these letters explain the reasons behind a student’s performance." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

There’s no learning in letter grades

By Xinyan Fu / November 6, 2019

Last semester, I took the Fundamentals of Speech Communication class everyone is required to take at Emerson. We completed several group speech presentations,...

"Telling these underserved stories, however, brings up the opportunity to right historical wrongs to a degree." / Illustration by Christine Park

The most important stories are those we often forget

By Althea Champion / October 29, 2019

When students apply to Emerson, one of the prompts they are required to answer reads, "Much of the work that students do at Emerson College is a form of...

Alumna Gaby Dunn completed a co-op at The Boston Globe while at Emerson, and reflected on that experience in her new book. Courtesy of Robyn Van Swank.

Journalism alumna Gaby Dunn pens Boston-based graphic novel

By Dana Gerber / October 1, 2019

At only nineteen years old, Gaby Dunn ‘09 spent her nights waiting at hospitals to find out the status of shooting victims or driving to the scene of...

"I spent the rest of my junior year constantly applying for internships and never hearing back, only to scroll on Facebook to see another student earn that Boston Globe Co-Op position or any of the other internships for which I applied." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Prepare students for the unglamorous sides of career-building

By Melissa Rosales / September 30, 2019

Last year, I opened my laptop and showed Kate Privert, the assistant director of the Career Development Center, my papers in my first cover letter and...

Alumus David Wade '95, winner of 23 Emmy awards, is back at Emerson as a professor. Shiyu Pan / Beacon Correspondent

Award winning journalist and alum returns to Emerson as professor

By Sydney Havens / September 25, 2019

When working for local TV station WBZ in 2013, David Wade ‘95 received a call in the middle of the night telling him to go straight to Watertown—the...

"Children with pursuits that aren’t conventionally 'academic' should not be discouraged from pursuing what they love." / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Abandoning creative pursuits in the name of success

By Grace Griffin / September 24, 2019

I started playing the piano and taking painting and drawing classes outside of school at age nine. In eighth grade, I studied art history for the first...

Editorial: Emerson Today's shrinking awareness of journalistic integrity

Editorial: Emerson Today’s shrinking awareness of journalistic integrity

By Editorial Board / April 4, 2019

At issue: Updates on Emerson Today Our Take: New content introduces more conflicts of interest Recent modifications to Emerson Today, an outlet run...

Journalism faculty released a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and in solidarity with Black students, faculty, staff, and alumni Wednesday.

Journalism students leave major at higher rate than other departments

By Belen Dumont / February 21, 2019

Approximately five percent of journalism students switched out of the department during the 2018-19 academic year—a rate around four times higher than...

The lack of advertising is the root of digital media companies’ financial insecurity. / Photo by Emily Oliver

Op-ed: Resisting the biggest threat to digital journalism

By Katie Schmidt / February 5, 2019

Journalists have faced a grim past few weeks—and this time it’s not because of some Orwellian statement made by President Donald Trump. Last week,...

It’s difficult to take classes specific to my interests when scheduling and other requirements within the major inhibit me from enrolling in them. /
Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Major Thoughts: Making the most of journalism’s outdated curriculum

By Daysia Tolentino / December 5, 2018

Emerson is consistently ranked by College Factual as one of the best journalism schools in the country. During my senior year of high school, I visited...

Planning a class schedule can stress students out, especially with limited course options. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Students advocate for curriculum modifications

November 7, 2018

Planning a class schedule can stress students out, especially with limited course options. To understand what specific issues students face with course...

All students should feel they are able to change their major without fear of falling behind or being judged, because during college is the time to develop and change our minds. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Letting instincts shape my education, not my major

By Kaitlyn Bryson / October 30, 2018

At 2 a.m. one morning, I broke down and called my mom. Frantic about my decision to change my major, I told her how scared I was because journalism was...

With the top ranking journalism program in the country, Emerson should teach future journalists a global vision. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Opening journalists to a global mindset

By Xinyan Fu / October 25, 2018

I grew up as one who always sticks up for others. The older I get, the more interested I become in speaking up for social justice. Although China has...

The college’s ownership of a real station could meaningfully translate to a co-op experience for Emerson students. / Illustration by Ally Rzesa

Op-ed: Investing in local media is mutually beneficial

By Dylan Rossiter / September 25, 2018

Emerson’s co-curriculars for broadcasting and journalism—WEBN, Emerson Independent Video, and The Emerson Channel—offer an environment where students...

Jacob Falberg (left), Will Wisnieski, Stefan Linhares, Tyler Mashkoori, and Nick Pucci (right) started EmDocs to combine journalism and film. Photo by Cassandra Martinez.

Emerson Documentaries to discover ‘Hidden Gems’

By Ian Sloan / April 17, 2018

When sophomore Jacob Falberg realized that no organization on campus focused on documentary filmmaking, he decided to start Emerson Documentaries. “If...

Paul Ross

Junior echoes John Oliver for new EIV show

By Owen Murray / February 5, 2018

This semester, junior journalism major Paul Ross plans to bring political commentary influenced by political comedians Stephen Colbert and John Oliver...