Behind the Beacon

In this episode, Daralyse Lyons and Emily Smith tackle one of the biggest questions facing local journalism: how do we fund real reporting in an era dominated by algorithms? Inspired by a DAME Magazine article shared by a reader (thank you, Michael), they explore the collapse of traditional ad revenue, the rise of AI and social media, and the growing vulnerability of communities caught in echo chambers.

In this episode of Behind the Beacon, Chief Revenue Officer Daralyse Lyons and Owner & Publisher Emily Smith reflect on The Power of Participation, the June 2 community conversation co-hosted with the Doylestown Action League and moderated by Connor O’Hanlon. They unpack the themes and questions that surfaced during the event, including barriers, accessibility, civic engagement, and personal empowerment.

From technology gaps to language access, from paywalls to social‑media echo chambers, Daralyse and Emily explore the structural challenges that shape how people get information. They also speak candidly about the Beacon’s commitment to accessibility, the financial realities of keeping news free to read, and the evolution of the Beacon’s identity beyond its early “progressive” label.

This episode offers practical ways for community members to get involved, support local journalism, and help strengthen civic engagement across Bucks County.

Resources mentioned:

The Signal Podcast

The Beacon’s Voter Guide featuring the Committee of 70’s ballot‑builder widget

The Beacon x Technically collaborative series on digital voting accessibility

In this episode of Behind the Beacon, Daralyse Lyons and Emily Smith explore what it takes to run a newsroom when everyone’s working remotely. From Slack threads to late‑night strategy sessions, they share how the Bucks County Beacon builds culture, cohesion, and community even when its team is scattered across Pennsylvania.

Emily explains that remote work has been part of the Beacon’s DNA from the start. What began as a two‑person virtual startup has grown into a mission‑driven organization with full‑time staff, part‑time contributors, freelancers, and operations support.

She reflects on the Beacon’s evolution — and her decision to “jump off a cliff” by hiring Daralyse and others to strengthen revenue and sustainability. Daralyse expands on how the Beacon’s readers and supporters are not just an audience but an essential part of the newsroom’s extended team.

Together, they preview the Beacon’s upcoming five‑year anniversary celebration on Thursday, September 24 — a $5 community event inviting readers, donors, and reporters to gather in person to celebrate what’s been built and imagine what’s next.

If you’ve ever wondered how a small, remote newsroom can feel like a family, this episode reveals how connection, communication, and community make it possible.

Support independent journalism at buckscountybeacon.com/support‑the‑beacon

In this episode of Behind the Beacon, Daralyse Lyons and Emily Smith get real about something most newsrooms never talk about out loud: how local journalism actually pays its bills. As they explain in this episode, the difference between a thriving newsroom and a disappearing one is reader revenue.

They break down the collapse of the old newspaper model (funded by ads, subscriptions, and circulation) and explain why independent outlets like the Bucks County Beacon rely on reader revenue to stay alive. 

Emily shares the behind-the-scenes math: The Beacon reaches 30,000 readers a month, but only a tiny fraction give monthly. And she talks about the emotional side of reader support: older residents on fixed incomes who write heartfelt notes when they have to cancel, community members who proudly give $10 a month because they believe in accountability journalism, and freelancers who deserve to be paid fairly.

Daralyse points out that readers who give even $5 or $10 a month (the price of a cup of coffee) are making a tangible difference in the Beacon’s bottom line.

They speak candidly about why recurring contributions matter more than one-time gifts: Grants are restricted. Ads fluctuate. But monthly support is steady, flexible, and allows the Beacon to plan, hire, investigate, and grow.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your contribution matters, this episode answers that question clearly: yes!

After listening to this episode, support the Beacon at https://buckscountybeacon.com/contribute/

In this episode of “Behind the Beacon,” hosts Daralyse Lyons and Emily Smith unpack what it really means to be creative problem solvers in local journalism. From designing ads to managing a newsroom, they reveal how curiosity, flexibility, and collaboration power the Bucks County Beacon’s vision and mission.

In our inaugural episode of Behind the Beacon, we take listeners inside the Bucks County Beacon: how we began, why our work matters, and what it takes to keep rigorous local journalism alive. Released on April 9th, Local News Day, this conversation is our chance to pull back the curtain on the mission, the mechanics, and the momentum behind the Beacon.

Welcome back to the Civic Circle. We hope that everyone has been enjoying this beautiful spring weather. As we know, February was Black History Month and March is Women’s History Month. As we wrap up March, we thought it would be important to reflect and talk about why these are so important.

In the second part of the show, we talk with Mayah Lubin, who is a Senior Higher Access Coordinator at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Mayah is an incredible leader and her identity helps her shape her equally powerful work.

Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill. 

Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.

Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 

The Civic Circle is produced by the Bucks County Beacon and Raging Chicken Media’s Kevin Mahoney.

The music is “Bet On It” by Silent Partner, copyright and royalty-free. 

Follow us on Twitter:

• @BucksCoBeacon

A major topic of news in the past few months, and sure to be an even larger issue in this general election, is immigration policy and the border crisis in the South and spreading across the country. Particularly in right-wing circles, immigration has been in the news and all over social media, and we wanted to spend today talking about our perspective of what’s happened at the border.

This episode will tackle immigration policies under the Trump and Biden administrations, especially as it appears to be a rematch between these two candidates this November. We’ll also chat about sanctuary cities, which have received an influx of undocumented immigrants in recent months; public opinion on the border crisis; and the status of immigration policies in Pennsylvania.

Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill.

Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.

Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 

The Civic Circle is produced by the Bucks County Beacon and Raging Chicken Media’s Kevin Mahoney.

The music is “Bet On It” by Silent Partner, copyright and royalty-free. 

Follow us on Twitter:

• @BucksCoBeacon

The Civic Circle is a new youth-led podcast by the Bucks County Beacon tackling politics and policy from a Gen-Z lens. Sarah Zhang, Mallorie Marsan, and Alexandra Coffey are students from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Once a month they chat about activism, advocacy, and all the political happenings affecting their generation today. They focus on PA politics and want the podcast to serve as a call to action for all young people to get involved in the civic process and demand change.

January is Anti-Human-Trafficking Month. This episode of the Civic Circle tackles the issue of human and sex trafficking, legislative initiatives taking place at the federal and state level, and ways young people are playing a role in advancing this movement.

In the second part of the show, we talk to Christa Mayfield, the Director of Operations for Project Protect Our Children (PPOC). Christa helps run PPOC’s incredible Youth Action Boards that seek to increase youth engagement in human trafficking advocacy.

Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill. 

Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.

Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 

The Civic Circle is produced by the Bucks County Beacon and Raging Chicken Media’s Kevin Mahoney.

The music is “Bet On It” by Silent Partner, copyright and royalty-free. 

Follow us on Twitter:

• @BucksCoBeacon