Our Stories
At Beacon Media, we focus on telling the stories that truly matter to our communities. Beacon Media is built around the people who are preserving and strengthening democracy in North Carolina communities. From healthcare and education to housing and justice, our stories are crafted to inform, inspire, and spark meaningful change. It is these community leaders and trusted messengers who will shift our collective narrative and show us what is possible — and then they are the ones who will make it a reality. We share their words and voices far and wide. That’s why all of our commentary is 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.
Read The Latest Stories
Iliana Santillán: No one will make the Latino community invisible
As the Trump administration targets people under the guise of immigration enforcement, many Latinos in N.C. are celebrating our communities and culture — despite the fear. By Iliana Santillán Beacon Media Photo of La Grande Latin American Festival in...
Mayor Smathers: Let’s come together and deliver for WNC
Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers calls on lawmakers in Raleigh to deliver for hurricane victims By Zeb Smathers From the moment Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury on North Carolina, we’ve witnessed the best of humanity. Neighbors of all beliefs, political parties,...
How do we find candidates who represent the working class?
This election shows that those who lead us should be the same people who make our society go. By Gwen Frisbie-Fulton I grew up tagging along behind my dad at construction sites. He would find a hard hat for me to wear, and it would wobble around on my too-small...
Being Frank: Sometimes, history rhymes in North Carolina
After the election, I keep thinking back to Frank Porter Graham’s progressive run for U.S. Senate in 1950. By Jeremy Markovich N.C. Rabbit Hole Like millions of North Carolinians, I have many questions about the results of Tuesday’s election. One that came...
Donald Trump is Betting his Anti-Trans Culture War wins on Election Day
Former President Trump’s campaign is spending millions on ads that focus on anti-trans and drag messaging. By Gwen Frisbie-Fulton Voting has started in North Carolina and across the nation, and early reports say the lines are healthy and long. That’s exciting...
Students: Helene Made Climate Change And This Election Personal
By Lili Jones, Sam Ogburn and Lydia Pate When we said “climate change is real,” this is what we meant. When we said that inaction would cost us, this is what we were afraid of. When we were told to calm down, to compromise, to be patient, we grew frustrated. We were...
The presidency is important. So is local office.
Alexa Roberts reflects on the importance of local office before our consequential November election. By Alexa Roberts The first time I walked into my daughter’s kindergarten classroom at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary as a volunteer, only a few weeks into the...
Helene forces return to the old school Town Hall
In Black Mountain town leaders are getting information out with a method that's been around for centuries. By Jeremy Markovich N.C. Rabbit Hole I’ve been doomscrolling quite a bit lately, mostly because there seems to be no end to pictures of the destruction left...
Act now: Save our lives before the next school shooting
North Carolina’s 2023 Teacher of the Year asks why politicians refuse to protect students and teachers through meaningful action after the school shooting in Winder, Georgia. By Kimberly Jones Last week, something happened that we must stop accepting as a mere...