About the Beacon
The Bucks County Beacon is an independent media outlet that offers news, analysis, and opinion from a progressive perspective. We also report the stories that other local media outlets can’t or don’t cover, especially the growing threat of right-wing extremism to our schools, government, and democracy. Local media in Bucks County has been decimated over the past decade by corporate layoffs and the Beacon is working to fill the information gap. We publish writers and activists who may be your neighbors in Bucks County, or who are reporting and organizing across Pennsylvania for a progressive future.
We are a reader-supported, popular, and participatory media outlet that acts as a catalyst for community organizing and action, and progressive change. To be part of this progressive movement media, contact Editor Cyril Mychalejko at cmychalejko@gmail.com. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to read and share all of our stories.
Staff
Emily Smith | owner & publisher
Emily Smith is the Owner & Publisher of the Bucks County Beacon. She is a seasoned design professional with nearly a decade of experience in strategic communications. Emily has spent nearly two decades working with startups and small businesses. Beyond her design chops, Emily is a creative problem solver, and business strategist. She has also owned her own graphic design firm since 2003, working with nearly every imaginable client including small businesses, giant corporations, non-profits, and community organizations.
Cyril Mychalejko | Editor in Chief
Cyril Mychalejko is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bucks County Beacon. He has over two decades of journalistic experience. His work has appeared in The Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, Upside Down World, Common Dreams, TruthOut, and other publications. Read his columns on Sundays and follow him on Twitter.
Virginia Flanagan | Executive Assistant
Virginia Flanagan (they/them)is the Executive Assistant at the Bucks County Beacon, bringing with them over a decade of experience in project and program management. Virginia’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion drives everything they do, from strategizing impactful social media campaigns to leading initiatives that uplift marginalized communities. Whether advocating for the disabilities community or supporting LGBTQIA+ rights, they are committed to making a positive impact.
Key contributors
Jennifer Cohn
Jennifer Cohn is an attorney, election integrity advocate, and political writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Review of Books, Who What Why, The Independent, TYT Investigates, The Brad Blog, and Salon. You can follow her on Twitter at @jennycohn1.
Jenny Stephens
Jenny Stephens is a freelance journalist who has written for a variety of publications, including The Reporter. An avid collector of all things vintage, she resides in Lansdale, PA.
Kierstyn Zolfo
Kierstyn Zolfo is a volunteer organizer with Indivisible Bucks County and Pennsylvania Indivisible. She and her husband live in Newtown Township.
Molly Parzen
Molly Parzen is Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, a statewide environmental advocacy group.
Kadida Kenner
Kadida Kenner is the CEO of the New Pennsylvania Project, a statewide voting rights organization with a primary focus on voter registration, civic engagement and mobilization, and co-chair of Why Courts Matter — Pennsylvania, a campaign educating Pennsylvanians about the importance of the independence of both the federal and state courts. She writes from Chester County. She writes from Chester County.
More Contributors
