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For nearly 90 years, The Beacon has been shining a light on the William Paterson campus as the University’s student newspaper, covering issues important to the students of the day.
The University recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the Herb Jackson Center for Journalism—Home of The Beacon. The center, named in honor of the late Herb Jackson, an assistant professor of communication and advisor to The Beacon from 1973 until his death in 1990, was funded through a generous gift from former Beacon editor-in-chief John A. Byrne ’75 in memory of his mentor and friend.
Located on the second floor of the Atrium, the center provides a new, modern space for The Beacon’s student journalists to gather and produce the news and develop critical hands-on skills.
“It is wonderful to see that a journalism career path that began at The Beacon, under Herb Jackson’s mentorship, has returned here today as we celebrate John, Herb, and this wonderful new resource to support today’s Pioneer student journalists,” said President Richard J. Helldobler. “My hope is that this renewed appreciation for the importance of journalism, broadly, and student journalism here on campus, will help promote the highest level of integrity and accuracy as The Beacon staff learns the skills essential to good journalism: accuracy, fairness, context, and a willingness, indeed an eagerness, to ask the hard questions.”
President Helldobler continued, “With free speech and a free press being challenged on college campuses across the country, let today’s gift and naming not only be an affirmation of the value of journalism but also of the fundamental values that are afforded us in the First Amendment. I know our namesake, William Paterson, one of the original signers of the Constitution, would expect nothing less of us.”
John A. Byrne '75 (left) and President Helldobler inside the new center during the dedication event.
Byrne, who served as editor-in-chief of The Beacon from 1973 to 1975, went on to an impressive career as an accomplished journalist, editor, author, and entrepreneur that has spanned the highest ranks of business media, including roles as executive editor at Businessweek’s print magazine, editor-in-chief of its online operations, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. For Byrne, Herb Jackson served as a mentor, an advisor, a friend, and a role model.
“Fifty-three years ago, I walked into a class in Shea Center and there was Herb Jackson,” he said. “I walked up to him and asked him to be the advisor to The Beacon, and he gladly said yes. It takes a lot of courage, patience, and diligence to nudge students to see a vision of what they can do with their lives.”
Byrne recalled how every week, Jackson would diligently mark up the current issue of the paper and come over to The Beacon office with his red-lined copy so that he and the other staff members could learn from their mistakes. “Even when I graduated, the relationship continued,” he said. “He had a huge impact on my life, and it is great to see his name up there.”
The Beacon published its first issue on November 2, 1936, when the institution was the Paterson State Normal School. Founded as the country was climbing up from the midst of the Depression, the first edition included stories on a school dance, field trips, and extension courses.
In the following decades, The Beacon broadened its scope to write more about the world beyond campus and about the interaction of the two, including topics like the Vietnam War, civil rights, and the women’s liberation movement. Today, The Beacon’s student journalists, under the guidance of current advisor Nicholas Hirshon, associate professor of communication, cover a diverse range of issues on campus, in the local community, and beyond, including news, sports, and opinion, for the paper, which is published online.
Students who contribute to The Beacon gather for a photo during the dedication event.
Byrne is the author of more than a dozen books on business education, leadership, and management, including two New York Times bestsellers, he is currently working on a new book entitled Office Intelligence: What No One Tells You About Getting Ahead, scheduled for publication in 2027.
In addition to his journalism and writing, Byrne is a successful media entrepreneur. As chairman and editor-in-chief of C-Change Media Inc., a digital media network of higher education websites for the global business community, he is a leading authority on business education in the world, with nearly 700,000 followers on LinkedIn. In 2010, he founded the digital media company Poets&Quants, which he built into a multimillion-dollar business focused on graduate business education before successfully selling the company. He is a frequent speaker on the future of business education. Byrne holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
Throughout his career, Byrne has stayed engaged with the University’s journalism program and the Beacon, supporting the Herb Jackson The Beacon Fund and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Internship Fund, which reduces financial barriers for students seeking these important hands-on learning opportunities.
Most importantly, he has been the force behind the revitalization of the Beacon on campus. He and fellow Beacon alumnus and classmate Colin Ungaro ‘75 have attended numerous journalism classes on campus to provide encouragement and feedback to students, give advice, and share stories of their time on campus, including what it was like to work with Herb Jackson.
