Journalism Students Dive Into Community Reporting with Indie News Site Partnership

Through affiliated faculty member Mark Micheli’s Community News Reporting class, Emerson College Journalism students embedded themselves with a local news site to learn the ins and outs of reporting on individual neighborhoods.   

Through a partnership with Neighborhood View, a Malden, Mass.-based nonprofit news organization, the fall semester course offered students hands-on reporting experience and addressed the need for local news coverage in Malden.

“I always run a hands-on classroom because my background is as a working journalist,” said Micheli, a former reporter for the Boston Business Journal and news editor for Boston.com. “Students learn not just how to report, but also how to be persistent and what to do if someone doesn’t call you back or how to dig deeper for a story.”

At the start of the semester, students “applied” to Micheli to cover specific beats in Malden, such as city council, school committee, or public safety. Once assigned their beats, students immersed themselves in their roles by attending Malden School Committee meetings, and interviewing prominent community members such as city councilors, and the Malden police chief.

Emma Siebold ’27 took on the public safety beat and enjoyed the experience.

“I had never done beat reporting before, so it was interesting and daunting to cover public safety,” said Siebold, who also writes for Emerson Today. “I wanted to challenge myself to commit to a beat and cover it very well.”

One of her stories focused on Malden’s annual Public Safety Day.

“This was my first time visiting a suburban community outside of Boston,” said Siebold. “Coming from a rural area, it was eye-opening to see how everyone, from residents to the police force, were so comfortable and easy to talk to. It felt like a community where people truly know and support each other.”

Siebold shared that the class shifted her perspective on the type of journalism career she envisions for herself.

“Being part of a close-knit community, where people trust you as a reporter, would be amazing. I can see myself as a reporter in a place that feels like home,” said Siebold.

Annie Sarlin ‘27 loved getting first-hand, real-life experience to practice community journalism.

“My favorite story I worked on was covering the Malden Pumpkin Smash Event, which was organized by members of the City Council. The council members hired a compost truck and invited residents to come and smash their Halloween pumpkins,” said Sarlin. “I love feature writing, and this was a really unique event to attend. It allowed me to take lots of great photos, talk to both local government officials and families, and get out in the community.” 

Anne Durso-Rose ‘90, Associate Director of Urban Media Arts, which oversees Neighborhood View, provided feedback to students about their stories. She believes the organization plays a vital role in sustaining a healthy democracy.

“Local journalism has been on the decline for many years, and its very existence is threatened due to many factors,” said Durso-Rose. “Journalism is critical to a healthy democracy and I want to believe that we will find a way for quality journalism to rebound. Hyperlocal journalism, in particular, holds local governments accountable, keeps community members informed, raises the voices of underserved populations, and fosters a sense of community that is so needed in our divided and fractured world.”

Durso-Rose also expressed appreciation for the students, recognizing their potential to shape the future of journalism.

“The students have produced many excellent pieces that we’re proud to publish in Neighborhood View, and we’re thrilled to see their work reach a wider audience,” said Durso-Rose. “These students will be part of a generation that helps ensure journalism continues to thrive, because its importance cannot be overstated, and the consequences of losing it would be severe.”