Our Stories
At Beacon Media, we focus on telling the stories that truly matter to our communities. Our reporting highlights the challenges and successes of North Carolinians, especially those whose voices often go unheard. From healthcare and education to housing and justice, our stories are crafted to inform, inspire, and spark meaningful change. We believe in the power of sharing these narratives far and wide. That’s why all our stories are free to republish. We encourage you to use and share our work to help amplify the voices and issues that need attention across our state. Together, we can make a difference.
Read The Latest Stories
Opinion: experience taught me to prepare for climate disasters
The author writes about her experience with the N.C. League of Conservation Voters Foundation and the events that led her to urge others to prepare. By Terra Wright Storms have caused so much destruction in North Carolina lately. There was Hurricane Helene, the...
Shannon Moretz: Why we need to tell the stories of rural North Carolina
The writer reflects on why she’s committed to telling stories of struggle, hope and progress in rural North Carolina.
Martin Henson: Let’s talk about HIV — and getting tested
The author, who leads discussion groups with Black men, writes about why he’s pushing himself and others to talk about HIV and take away the stigma from getting regularly tested.
Opinion: High Duke Energy bills and rate hikes force difficult choices
Anita Yates, a retiree living in Mt. Airy, N.C., argues that Duke Energy’s plans cost people like her too much every month.
Rose Hoban: Considering Artificial Intelligence for local news reporting
The Editor-in-Chief at the local newsroom N.C. Health News considers the ethical use of AI in a local newsroom — and finds AI won’t soon replace humans in many respects.
Preston Blakely: My grandmothers couldn’t vote freely. I’m now the Mayor.
Mayor Preston Blakely of Fletcher, N.C., reflects on his legacy and the struggle for Civil Rights that he inherited from his family.
Kimberly Jones: Public education is a sacred obligation
In a column based on a speech given as the outgoing N.C. Teacher of the Year, educator Kimberly Jones reflects on the importance of public schools.
Crystal Barnes: N.C. does not need massive, expensive Duke Energy pipelines
The writer raises concerns about a proposed pipeline planned for central North Carolina, particularly high costs passed onto ratepayers.
Rev. Della Owens: Lawmakers should kill the ‘Big Deadly Bill’
Medicaid is a lifeline for low-income people all over America and is the United States’ largest insurer. Additionally, the bill would gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides resources to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and ensure access to nutritious food. Thousands of those receiving food assistance, 13% of North Carolinians, would lose that assistance under the bill.
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: The real reason we’re being told to hate Pride
Pride has been celebrated in the United States and North Carolina for decades now, but it’s meeting new resistance. Nationally, anti-LGBTQ demonstrations and violence are rising. New FBI data shows that 2,402 hate crimes related to sexual orientation were reported in 2023 in the U.S., which the Human Rights Campaign called “disturbing, record-breaking” numbers.
Debbie DeWeese: Don’t cut our healthcare to give tax breaks to the rich
A bill making its way through the U.S. Senate would be devastating for the millions of people on Medicaid in North Carolina.
Preston Blakely: Political assassinations in Minnesota call for a reminder of our shared humanity
Who could have imagined public service could be so dangerous? I became the mayor of a small town in Western North Carolina to serve my entire community. To sit in churches, barbershops, and kitchen tables, and have intimate and honest conversations. To represent and lead the people I meet, even when we cannot agree on everything.
Scott Peoples: A Shameful Week for the 82nd Airborne Division
The military is supposed to be nonpartisan – to protect and stand for all Americans. To those soldiers standing behind Trump booing and laughing at Trump’s cruelty – and their commanding officers that went along with the spectacle – you disgraced the uniform, and you should all be ashamed.