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Meg Heckman

@megheckman.bsky.social
492 followers 529 following 3.7K posts

Associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University. Exploring modern gender politics through the lens of media history. Also: local news revitalization, digital humanities and writing.

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Reposted by Meg Heckman
The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 14/07/2026
Neighbors described the man killed by an ICE agent in Maine as a hardworking father who was trying to build a stable life for his family as a food delivery driver.
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Man killed by ICE agent was from Colombia and moved to Maine, worked as food delivery driver to support wife and daughter - The Boston Globe
Officials identified him as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian native who was legally authorized to work in the United States.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
6/6: I love you, Biddeford. Stay strong. Stay angry. May the victim’s family eventually find some peace. And good luck to all the journalists and other truth seekers on the ground. We need you.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
5/n: I don’t remember any of the exact phrasing, but the sentiment was clear: Don’t f-?$& with Biddeford. I think we’re all about to find out how very true that remains.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
4/n: In the weeks after 9/11, people put up the kind of signs that appeared across the country. “Let’s roll.” “Rest in peace.” Drawings of hearts and flags and the towers. There was another theme, too, one laced with deep, local defiance.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
3/n: The memories of what I saw and heard and wrote that fall still intrude 25 years later — a pattern that makes sense given what I now know about journalists and vicarious trauma. But Biddeford remains for me geography laced with anguish. And also with grit.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
2/n: That tiny city is special to me and also complicated. In Biddeford I won my first public records’ fight, broke my first big story and, on one Tuesday that September, joined other reporters untangling how a small airport Southern Maine had become the entry point for two of the 9/11 terrorists.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
1/n: The first newspaper that hired me was the Biddeford Journal-Tribune and, for the 11 months I worked there, that city was mine. It was late August 2001 when I moved in to a truly dodgy apartment a few blocks away the intersection where, this morning, ICE agents shot a man to death.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
We appear to back up, but that's not the case for all of the schools impacted. Ugh.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Nope.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Same with Northeastern. I was in Canvas. Everything was normal. And then this.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
That's giving some serious HAL 9000 vibes 😬
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
My @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social colleague Matt Garcia provided the tip that led the NYT to investigate Cesar Chavez www.thedartmouth.com/article/2026...
thedartmouth.com
Dartmouth professor’s tip led to New York Times investigation into Cesar Chavez
Dartmouth replaced a fellowship at the College named after Chavez without public announcement following the publication of the Times’s report, which found that the labor leader sexually abused two und...
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Our 2-year-old lab acted like we were abusing him when we made him come back inside. And now he's pouting in the corner.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Jon Becker @jonbecker.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
A good bit of the conversation around AI in education assumes students who are self-regulated and self-determined. Lots of students need structure and good prompting.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Happy Arrest of the Andrew formerly known as Prince Randy to all who celebrate. And as always, thank you feminism.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Julie K. Brown @jkbjournalist.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Never in a million years did I ever fathom when I resurrected the Epstein story in 2018 that it would lead to first arrest of a British Royal in four centuries. Not since King Charles I was arrested in 1647. open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...
open.substack.com
Prince Andrew's Arrest
Across the pond in Britain, justice and accountability is a serious matter
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Excited moderate this conversation with two authors who know how to turn archival research into terrific books. Caleb Gayle and Carla Kaplan will share what it takes to bring historical stories to life. 📚 cssh.northeastern.edu/wgss/february-19-2026-barrs-commitee-conversation-series-works-in/
cssh.northeastern.edu
[FEBRUARY 19, 2026] Barrs Commitee Conversation Series: WORKS IN
Thursday, February 19, 20263:00 pm – 4:30 pm ESTHayden Hall 221 The Barrs Conversation Series will be featuring work from Caleb Gayle, author of Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Bla...
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Because small acts of resistance matter, I'm joining some of my current and former colleagues in publicly condemning the arrest of two independent journalists. You can read more in the op-ed published today by the The Huntington News, Northeastern's campus newspaper. huntnewsnu.com/91095/editor...
huntnewsnu.com
Op-ed: Journalism faculty members condemn the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort - The Huntington News
As current and former faculty members of Northeastern University’s School of Journalism, we condemn the unconstitutional arrests of independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. We are instructo...
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
This is good comedy and a good reminder. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsW...
youtube.com
Beyond the Headlines - SNL
YouTube video by Saturday Night Live
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Lydia Polgreen @polgreen.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
This devastating video analysis of the execution of Alex Pretti makes it clear: a CPB coward shot an unarmed man in the back. www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
nytimes.com
Video: New Video Analysis Reveals Flawed and Fatal Decisions in Shooting of Pretti
A frame-by-frame assessment of actions by Alex Pretti and the two officers who fired 10 times shows how lethal force came to be used against a target who didn’t pose a threat.
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Dan Kennedy @dankennedy.net · 09/01/2026
Powerful commentary from the National Catholic Reporter. www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-...
ncronline.org
Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good
After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Rahul Bhargava @rahulbot.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Election day in Boston! @thescopenu.bsky.social has your city election guide for any last minute logistics: thescopeboston.org/boston-elect... And city council candidate Q&As: thescopeboston.org/10138/boston...
thescopeboston.org
Boston 2025 City Elections
It won’t be long until Boston voters head to the polls to cast ballots for the city’s municipal election. The general election will occur on Nov. 4, where residents will vote to elect a mayor,…
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
The Zotero update supports in-app EPUB reading. I repeat, the Zotero update supports in-app EPUB reading!!! Has anyone tried this yet?
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
1.) WTH!?! 2.) What brand were the chips?
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
The mystery. The sophomoric humor. The shade thrown on Brookline at the end. This story has everything! www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/13/m...
bostonglobe.com
Conan O’Brien saw it and an unauthorized sign says it: The Zakim Bridge may look like part of male anatomy - The Boston Globe
It’s not clear who put up the sign, which looks quite official and at least somewhat expensive to make.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Huge thanks to @aejmc.bsky.social's leadership team and staff for guiding us all through rough times!
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
En route to #AEJMC25 with Big Feelings about the many threats to journalism, education, science and civil society. It's a gloom as thick as the wildfire smoke we punched through during takeoff from BOS.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Leaving BOS in a bit and really feeling this.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
Fascintaing reminder of how certain innovations - in this case lens technology used in lighthouses for more than a century - shapes industries and societies. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/s...
nytimes.com
A Voyage to Bring Norway’s Lighthouses Into the 21st Century
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
All of this. Zotero FTW!
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
My post is from several years ago and was imported from Twitter, but thank you for checking in.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Coffee and local news are two of my favorite things, so it was a pleasure to talk to The Christian Science Monitor about how a midcoast Maine local newspaper is building audience trust by opening a community cafe. www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/...
csmonitor.com
‘Fresh brewed news’: Community café offers locals a chance to sip with reporters
It’s no surprise that news outlets are struggling for both dollars and trust. In Camden, Maine, a local newspaper opened a café to welcome in the community.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Out. Of. Office.
Photo of a stupidly giant bag of Kirkland kettle potato chips and an open novel propped on my lap. The background includes green deck chairs, a dock and lake water.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
19thnews @19thnews.org · 30/06/2025
As programs recognizing LGBTQ+ people are cut, an Ohio archive is doing what queer Americans always have: preserving their own history.
19thnews.org
‘It’s proof of our existence’: This lesbian archive is recording history as it's erased
As the Trump administration cuts programs recognizing LGBTQ+ people, this Ohio archive is doing what queer Americans always have: preserving their own history.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
He loves laundry day but refuses to learn how to fold.
A Chocolate Lab on top of a pile of clean laundry on a brown couch.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
It’s hot.
Car thermometer reading 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Dan Kennedy @dankennedy.net · 22/05/2025
New at Media Nation: CJR was said to be working on a story about Wesley Lowery. It finally drops — and it is horrifying. dankennedy.net/2025/05/22/c...
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Ryan Cordell @ryancordell.org · 12/05/2025
Some sad confirmation from @bcgl.bsky.social while I was at UW last week—the National Digital Newspaper Program—which builds Chronicling America—has been shut down Historical newspapers are probably the archival material most used by the general public—for genealogy, local history—it’s such a loss
loc.gov
About this Collection | Chronicling America | Digital Collections | Library of Congress
Search America's Historic Newspaper Pages through 1963 Please Note: The Library of Congress has transitioned the longstanding Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website to this new digi...
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3 www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF
Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Souter and I grew up (at different times) in the same tiny New Hampshire town. When my eighth grade class visited Washington, D.C., he hosted us at the Supreme Court. I don't remember what he said, but he was incredibly kind. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/09/n...
bostonglobe.com
Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a New Hampshire Republican who became a reliable liberal vote, has died - The Boston Globe
Souter became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench. He died at his home in New Hampshire, the Supreme Court said.
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Reposted by Meg Heckman
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
The student journalists were filing reports from the scene, and it appears they were transparent about their press affiliations. www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2025/05...
The WKCR and Spectator journalists respectively broadcasted and published their reporting Wednesday. The radio station shared “A Comprehensive Update Regarding the Student Action at Butler Library” over the air at 9 p.m. based on the reporting the three WKCR reporters had collected while in Butler, while Spectator published seven stories on the demonstration, two of which were written by Sukkar and all of which she contributed to as a reporter.

Sukkar identified herself to Public Safety as student press throughout the protest. On Thursday afternoon, Grinage notified Sukkar, Lahr, and Gamble via email of their interim suspensions. At 2:41 p.m., Gamble received the first interim suspension notice of the three Barnard student journalists, with Lahr following at 2:51 p.m. Sukkar received her notice just over two hours later at 4:59 p.m.
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Thank you, President Aoun! huntnewsnu.com/86480/campus...
huntnewsnu.com
President Aoun joins more than 320 university leaders in joint statement condemning Trump administration ‘overreach’ - The Huntington News
Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun joined more than 320 — and counting — U.S. higher education leaders in signing a joint statement denouncing the Trump administration for “endangering American hig...
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David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
A federal judge ruled that the Trump White House must admit the AP's journalists to news events - ruling its exclusion was "unlawful." Almost two hours later, two AP journalists were rejected from the WH pool to cover a Trump speech. My NPR story: www.npr.org/2025/04/08/n...
npr.org
Judge orders White House to allow AP access to news events
U.S. Judge Trevor N. McFadden rules the White House cannot deny the Associated Press access to news events because the wire service continues to use "Gulf of Mexico" rather than "Gulf of America".
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
What was that about her emails? www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
theatlantic.com
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
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Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
"On October 8, 1931, a law went into effect requiring every Italian university professor to sign an oath pledging their loyalty to the government of Benito Mussolini. Out of over 1,200 professors in the country, only 12 refused. All of them were immediately fired." www.chronicle.com/article/what...
chronicle.com
Opinion | What Autocrats Want From Academics: Servility
In 1931, Italian scholars were made to take loyalty oaths. Will that happen to us?
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Damon Kiesow @kiesow.net · 21/03/2025
You know in 1948 Lazarsfeld, Berelson, and Gaudet argued that most voters learned about the candidates from opinion makers who were active news consumers and not directly from journalists. Their “two-step” model sounds a lot like “influencers.”
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Meg Heckman @megheckman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
“The best lack all conviction,” etc., etc. 😞
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