Meg Heckman is an award-winning writer, educator and scholar who pursues two distinct research streams: feminist media history and contemporary local news sustainability. Her historical work centers on uncovering the overlooked contributions of women in journalism. Heckman is the author of Political Godmother: Nackey Scripps Loeb and the Newspaper That Shook the Republican Party (University of Nebraska Press, 2020), which examines how the career of newspaper publisher and conservative activist Nackey Scripps Loeb foreshadowed the modern hyperpartisan media ecosystem. She is also involved in several ongoing projects that explore how AI and other computational methods can help surface more inclusive historical narratives.
In her contemporary research, Heckman examines solutions to the local news crisis. She serves as advisor to The Scope, the School of Journalism’s hyperlocal news outlet covering Boston’s core neighborhoods. Her scholarship on news deserts, mobile news innovation and student-led journalism initiatives has been published in Journalism Practice, Journalism Studies and the Newspaper Research Journal.
Heckman also regularly writes for general audiences about gender, politics and media. Her essays and commentary have appeared in WBUR Cognoscenti, Politico Magazine, USA Today, and the Saturday Evening Post. She also contributes to journalism industry publications including Poynter, Columbia Journalism Review, and Nieman Lab.
Her work has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Miami Foundation. Before entering academia, Heckman spent over a decade as a journalist, including roles as a reporter for the Concord (NH) Monitor and correspondent for The Boston Globe.
She is an active member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and previously served on the organization’s board of directors and as head of its Commission on the Status of Women. She is a past president of the New Hampshire Press Association and served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes.
Research/Publications Highlights
Book
Heckman, M. (2020). Political Godmother: Nackey Scripps Loeb and the Newspaper That Shook the Republican Party. Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press.
Refereed articles
Finneman, T., Heckman, M. & Wolgast, W. (2024). “Examining Gaps in Journalism Curriculum to Solve the News Desert Crisis.” Journalism and Mass Communication Educator.
Bhargava, R., Heckman, M. & Nudulu, E. (2023). “Powerful in Pearls and Willie Brown’s Mistress: A Computational Analysis of Gendered News Coverage of Kamala Harris.” Feminist Media Studies.
Heckman, M. & †Bastia, A. (2023). “Expecting Advice: Reproductive Health and Consciousness Raising in The Boston Globe’s Confidential Chat Column.” Journalism History. doi: 10.1080/00947679.2023.2222617
Heckman, M. & Taurino, G. (2023). “The Archival Gaze: A Case for Leveraging Computational Methods to Uncover Hidden Media History Narratives.” American Journalism, doi: 10.1080/08821127.2023.2199254
Ferrucci, P., Finneman, T., Heckman, M., & Walck, P. (2023). “A Discursive Evolution: Trade Publications Explain News Deserts to U.S. Journalists.” Media and Communication, doi: 10.17645/mac.v11i3.6691
Heckman, M., Chung, M. & Santos, J. (2022). “‘This Isn’t What the Industry Should Look Like Anymore:’ U.S. Student Journalists, Harassment and Professional Socialization.” Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication.
Finneman, T., Heckman M., & Walck, P. (2022). “Reimagining Journalistic Roles: How Student Journalists Are Taking on the U.S. News Desert Crisis.” Journalism Studies, doi: 10.1080/1461670X.2021.2023323.
Heckman, M. (2021). “Constructing the ‘Gender Beat:’ U.S. Journalists Refocus the News in the Aftermath of #MeToo.” Journalism Practice, doi: 10.1080/17512786.2021.1997151.
Heckman, M. & *Homan, M. (2020). “The Syllabus is a Boys’ Club: The Paucity of Woman Authors in Journalism Course Materials.” Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication.
Heckman, M. & Wihbey, J. (2019). “The Local-Mobile Paradox: Missed Innovation Opportunities at Local Newspapers.” Newspaper Research Journal, doi:10.1177/0739532919835610.
Non-refereed articles
Heckman, M. (May 29, 2025). “The Girls from Boston.” WBUR Cognoscenti.
Heckman, M. (February 5, 2025). “How midcentury women’s magazines fought cancer.” Saturday Evening Post.
Heckman, M. (October 30, 2024). “The gendered fault lines defining the 2024 election.” WBUR Cognoscenti.
Heckman, M. (July 24, 2024). “‘Viability’ is a dangerous euphemism.” WBUR Cognoscenti.
Heckman, M. (January 19, 2024). “Nikki Haley is hardly a feminist icon. But her candidacy is a step towards gender equity.” WBUR Cognoscenti.
Professional Affiliations
Service
- Development committee member, Journalism and Women Symposium. 2014-2017
- Regional captain, Journalism and Women Symposium. Ongoing
- Juror for breaking news, The Pulitzer Prizes. February 2016
- Judge for multiple reporting categories, New Hampshire Press Association. January 2016
- Juror for local reporting, The Pulitzer Prizes. February 2015
- Judge for online categories, New England Newspaper and Press Association. December 2012
- Board member, New Hampshire Press Association. October 2009 – August 2012
- President, New Hampshire Press Association. October 2010 – December 2011
Professional training
- Solutions journalism workshop, Concord, NH, May 2015
- Local Independent Online News Publishers’ Summit, Columbia College Chicago, October 2013
- New Media Women Entrepreneurs, National Press Club, September 2013
- Investigative journalism fellowship, New England First Amendment Institute, 2012
- National Freedom of Information Summit, Providence, RI, May, 2011
- Multi-platform reporting fellowship, The Poynter Institute, 2008
- Reporting and writing fellowship, The Poynter Institute, 2001
Memberships
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Journalism and Women Symposium
Departments
Journalism
Education
- MA, Journalism, Northeastern University
- BA, English, University of New Hampshire
Awards
- CAMD Excellence in Teaching Award, 2025
- Michael S. Sweeny Award finalist, AEJMC History Division, 2024
- Top paper abstract, Media Management, Economics and Entrepreneurship Division, AEJMC Midwinter Conference, 2018
- Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication fellowship, 2017
- Publick Occurrences Award, New England Newspaper & Press Association, 2011
- Donald M. Murray Award for Outstanding Journalism, New Hampshire Writers’ Project, 2011
- Best online engagement, New England Associated Press News Editors Association, 2011
- Best use of social media, New Hampshire Press Association, 2011
Professional Experience
- Online and community engagement editor, Concord (NH) Monitor
- Reporter, Concord (NH) Monitor
Research Focus
- Journalism history
- Feminist media studies
- Local news innovation
Courses Taught
- JRNL 1101: Fundamentals of Reporting
- JRNL 2201: Intermediate Reporting
- JRNL 3610: Digital Storytelling and Social Media
- JRNL 5250: Gender in the Newsroom
- JRNL 6201: Enterprise Reporting II
- JRNL 6340: Fundamentals of Digital Journalism
