The Berkeley Beacon

The Berkeley Beacon is Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper. The Beacon is consistently heralded as one of the top student news organizations in the country, with our focus on editorial excellence and newsroom innovation. Through daily publication of content online, a weekly print newspaper, a semesterly magazine, and other forms of multimedia distribution, The Beacon is the leading source for Emerson-centric news. Founded in 1947, the paper was named after the college’s former location in Back Bay, at the confluence of Berkeley Street and Beacon Street. The paper is a chronicle of life at Emerson — covering student government politics, on- and off-campus events, administrative initiatives and sports.  In recent years, our staff has reported on a wide range of topics, covering everything from the expansion and renovation of Emerson’s campus to protests in Boston and at Emerson. In 2011, The Beacon became the first college newspaper website with a responsive design, and in 2018 transitioned from its role as a weekly print paper to a daily, digital-first model. The Beacon has won multiple Associated Collegiate Press awards for our redesigned daily website.  In 2024, The Beacon was recognized by Emerson’s Journalism Department for its coverage of the Cutler Majestic arrests. The Beacon’s reporting on the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus in the spring 2024 semester generated more than 10,000 page views and was the most cited story on the event on Google.