Behind the Beacon

The Bucks County Beacon
  • 5.0 (1)
  • POLITICS

We’re thrilled to share something we’ve been building quietly (and passionately!): the launch of our brand‑new podcast, “Behind the Beacon.” Chief Revenue Officer Daralyse Lyons talks with Owner & Publisher Emily Smith on what it takes to run a newsroom in today's media climate. Not from the editor and writer side, but the business and operations it takes to make it happen. 

Episodes

  1. 6D AGO ·  VIDEO

    Episode 4: Why Reader Revenue Matters

    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/

    45 min

  2. MAY 7 ·  VIDEO

    Episode 3: How Our Tech Stack Actually Works

    In this episode of Behind the Beacon, hosts Daralyse Lyons and Emily Smith pull back the curtain on the technology that powers the Bucks County Beacon. They explore how the Beacon’s tech stack shapes everything from publishing to expansion.     Emily explains how she built the Beacon’s website ground-up using WordPress and why open‑source tools matter. Together, they discuss the trade‑offs between keeping content free and sustaining the business.     UPCOMING EVENT: We are spearheading a FREE community event, The Power of Participation, on June 2nd. RSVP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986805215884     Be sure to listen, explore our voter guide, and support independent journalism at buckscountybeacon.com/support-the-beacon.

    51 min

  3. APR 23 ·  VIDEO

    Episode 2: Creative Problem Solving

    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. Emily shares how her journey from a graphic designer/web developer to owner and publisher have shaped the Beacon’s visual identity and startup spirit. Her knack for turning design challenges into business solutions helped transform the Beacon from an experimental idea into a newsroom that reaches nearly 40,000 readers every month. Daralyse reflects on how her own creativity—rooted in curiosity and a childhood steeped in storytelling—fuels her approach to community engagement and revenue diversification. They revisit the Beacon’s “fail fast and learn” culture, sharing lessons from Beacon Fest, a bold experiment that became their “best failure.” And they share about the Beacon’s next event, which you will not want to miss! On June 2, the Beacon is spearheading a FREE community event, “The Power of Participation.” Co‑hosted with the Doylestown Action League and moderated by Connor O’Hanlon, this dynamic panel discussion will bring together local leaders Lauren Cristella, Amy Widestrom, Ariel Virk, and Nick Emeigh for an empowering conversation about civic engagement, mental health, and inclusive policy. Because creative problem solving doesn’t just happen in the newsroom. It happens when people come together! Be sure to listen to this episode, check out the June 2nd event, and support the Beacon at buckscountybeacon.com/support-the-beacon.

    39 min

  4. APR 9 ·  VIDEO

    Introducing Behind the Beacon: Local News Day!

    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. Hosts Emily Smith and Daralyse Lyons revisit the Beacon’s unlikely origins and its expansion from a simple idea to a newsroom reaching more than 35,000 readers each month. The Bucks County Beacon may be local, but our reporting has illuminated patterns unfolding across the country. Running a newsroom isn’t cheap or easy. Our operating costs sit between $25,000 and $30,000 a month, yet we remain free to readers because we believe access to trustworthy information shouldn’t depend on ability to pay. We share stories from community members who’ve told us that our reporting helped them understand issues shaping their lives and we talk about how we’re partnering with other organizations to expand our reach and dig deeper into stories that matter. As we say in the episode, “We are building the plane while we’re flying it.” Because at the end of the day, local news needs to be local, we’re committed to transparency and accountability, so join us in this episode of Behind the Beacon, where we take you behind the scenes and share about our internal operations, reader feedback, and exciting updates. If you value independent, community‑rooted journalism, you can support the Beacon at buckscountybeacon.com. Your contributions, your feedback, and your engagement keep our work alive.

    44 min

  5. 04/05/2024

    The Civic Circle | Black Women in Politics/Law + interview with Mayah Lubin

    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 @RCpress

    26 min

  6. 02/26/2024

    Civic Circle | Immigration, Border Policy, and the 2024 Election

    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 @RCpress

    15 min

  7. 02/05/2024

    The Civic Circle | January is Human-Trafficking Month + Interview with Christa Mayfield the Director of Operations for Project Protect Our Children

    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 @RCpress

    25 min

  8. 01/08/2024

    The Civic Circle | Will Gen Z Help Lead a Labor Revival in the U.S. + interview with Adrien Van Voorhis from Temple’s Undergrad Workers Union

    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. This episode covers one of the biggest issues of 2023 - labor rights. There’s been a massive rise in worker organizing over the past few years, especially among Gen Z. We tackle a broad scope of labor organizing and terminology for those who are unfamiliar - especially for young people, since we’ve never formally really been introduced to what unions are in school; talk about organizing and unions in a greater, national scope, such as Starbucks United and SAG-AFTRA; and then hone in on something local - organizing at Temple University. In the second half of the show we have an interview with Adrien Van Voorhis, who’s with Temple’s Undergrad Workers Union, to discuss how young people can mobilize and gain bargaining power. 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 @RCpress

    33 min

  9. 12/04/2023

    The Civic Circle | Riding the Blue Wave in Bucks County and Across the Country + Interview with Jordan Abelson

    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. This episode covers some election results across Pennsylvania and the country, with a specific focus on Bucks County. We also interview Jordan Abelson, Director of Communications for Bucks United. Jordan helps break down the progress we’ve seen here at home with sweeping Democratic victories across the county.  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 @RCpress

    44 min

  10. 11/01/2023

    The Civic Circle | Local Elections + Interview with Jennifer Herring and Judy Dixon, candidates for Doylestown Town Supervisor

    Welcome back to the third episode of the Civic Circle! With municipal elections coming up soon on Tuesday, November 7, we wanted to spend this episode focusing on why local races are so important and encourage you all to make sure you go out and vote. We know that the majority, if not all, of our listeners, are already actively engaged in democracy and vote far more frequently than the average citizen. However, we also know that there’s a lack of coverage and familiarity with the positions that are up for election in off-years.  We wanted to dedicate the majority of this episode to our interview with Democratic party candidates for Doylestown town Supervisor, Judy Dixon and Jen Herring. Before we get to their interviews we wanted to talk through some of the other positions that will be on your ballot this year and what those people will actually represent.

    43 min

  11. 10/27/2023

    The Civic Circle | School Board Elections and Interview with Bucks United’s Kunal Atit

    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 will 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. We focus this episode primarily on local school board wars and our experiences growing up in Central Bucks and Council Rock School Districts. We also discuss the incredible candidates running to replace extremist candidates on these boards. In the second half of the show, we welcome Kunal Atit, Bucks United's campaign manager, who shares his story and why these school board races matter so much. 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 @RCpress

    48 min

  12. 10/27/2023

    The Civic Circle | The Climate Crisis is Real, Local, and Demands Action

    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, and once a month they will chat about activism, advocacy, and all the political happenings affecting their generation today. They will be focusing 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. In this first episode we introduce ourselves, explain what brought us into this work, and discuss some of the hot issues of this past summer - with the hottest issue definitely being extreme weather, the sweltering heat, and how the climate crisis has directly affected us in Bucks County.  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.  Also listen to Bucks County Beacon Editor Cyril Mychalejko’s interview with Sarah, Mallorie, and Alexandra on The Signal.  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 @RCpress

    30 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

We’re thrilled to share something we’ve been building quietly (and passionately!): the launch of our brand‑new podcast, “Behind the Beacon.” Chief Revenue Officer Daralyse Lyons talks with Owner & Publisher Emily Smith on what it takes to run a newsroom in today's media climate. Not from the editor and writer side, but the business and operations it takes to make it happen. 

Information

  • Creator
    The Bucks County Beacon
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Behind the Beacon