A team of Northeastern journalism students contributed “significant” investigative reporting for a three-part series that took home a New England Emmy Award earlier this month.

Students in Mike Beaudet’s investigative reporting course produced two stories—in partnership with Fox 25—for a collection of stories that took home the Emmy in the Investigative Reporting category at an awards ceremony earlier this month. Beaudet and Fox 25 received the award, and he said his students’ reporting was critical to the investigations for these news stories.

“This is a real thrill to be able to share this Emmy with my Northeastern journalism students,” said Beaudet, professor of the practice at Northeastern and a part-time reporter for WCVB. “The student contributions were significant and made these investigations possible. It really is experiential learning at its best.”

For one story, students helped investigate and highlight a problem with defective ankle bracelets that led to the arrests of accused and convicted criminals who were later found to be following the rules.

The student contributions were significant and made these investigations possible. It really is experiential learning at its best.”
— Mike Beaudet, professor and reporter

The other story uncovered a settlement between the city of Boston and a man accused of assaulting a police officer, but in actuality the man was an alleged victim of police brutality.

“The students researched topics and angles, analyzed data, tracked down sources, and helped produce the final television reports,” Beaudet said. “More importantly, these investigations made an impact and caused public officials to take action to right some wrongs.”

The Emmy recognition is just the latest for Northeastern journalism students. In April, news@Northeastern highlighted the work of students Aren LeBrun, Natasha Chang, and Rachel Petri, who received college/university awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Those students also were honored at this month’s Emmy event.

Students who worked on the Emmy-nominated stories in Beaudet’s Investigative Reporting class were graduate students Audrey Adam, Julia Aparicio, Alexis Herrera, Cameron Machell, and Jessica McWeeney, and undergraduate students Kelsey Bruun, Angel Feliciano, and Elijah Kaplan.