More than 50 students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Ed Engle Theater on November 1, 2025, for The Daily Beacon’s biannual Behind the Bylines event.
This exclusive opportunity offers the community a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to publish the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s student-led, editorially independent newspaper.
Caden Dyer, editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon, hosted the event and shared heartfelt accolades about each presenter as well as other members of the newspaper’s team.
“I loved hosting Behind the Bylines last semester, and I’m super excited for us to have another one this year,” Dyer said. “It’s such a great way to connect with our audience on a personal level. The writers are all so talented, and they represent the Beacon beautifully.”
This event featured five student journalists—Alex Sarkis, Oliva Lee, Claire Thatcher, Samantha Whitley, and Ansley Graves—to reveal what happens beyond the front page.
An unexpected path led to The Daily Beacon role
Assistant Sports Editor Alex Sarkis arrived on campus in 2023, not knowing where his intrinsic writing skills would take him; but his mother, who was a television anchor, encouraged Sarkis to take an introductory-level journalism class. Through that, he discovered his career path.
Now, as a junior, Sarkis shared how The Beacon gave him the chance to write various analytical, investigative, breaking news, and general reporting stories on major UT sporting events.
“I take a ton of pride in our sports section and being in the role that I am. I always tell people that I’m all Beacon, all the time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sarkis said. “I loved getting the chance to share some of what goes into my work and brag about everything we do down in that newsroom.”
First-years forging a lasting impact
Two first-year writers, Olivia Lee and Claire Thatcher, brought a fresh perspective to the event, each highlighting what it has meant to dive headfirst into The Beacon during their first semester at UT.
Lee, a governance and chancellery beat reporter, presented on the importance of courage, reporting the facts, and minimizing harm—especially when writing groundbreaking news stories about campus events that have national implications.
“I started working for The Beacon right after I stepped foot on campus this fall, and I have loved every minute of it. I have learned so much through the hands-on opportunities The Beacon provides,” Lee said. “Being selected to talk further about the work I have done, and the personal development behind it, is a privilege. I’m very grateful to my editors and advisors for helping me grow this semester.”
Thatcher, an opinions contributor for The Beacon, showcased her passion for the opinions section by highlighting her past semester’s work on authenticity in a digital age. In her presentation, The first-year student emphasized research as a key component to developing powerful, well-rounded opinion stories.
“This is my first semester at both the university and The Beacon and having the opportunity to jump right in has been very exciting! Specifically, writing for the opinions section has allowed me so much freedom, making it really easy to stay consistent,” Thatcher said. “Being asked to be a part of this event is such an honor—it makes all the hard work that much more worth it.”
Continuing the journalism legacy
Junior Samantha Whitley, who serves as the mental health beat reporter for The Beacon, was honored to share vital stories related to mental health topics. Whitley shared her personal journey and passion for journalism, which stems from her mother’s news background with CNN. Her childhood dream of becoming a writer has begun to come true over her past two years with The Beacon.
“I decided to follow in her footsteps,” Whitley said, noting her mother drove three hours from Georgia to watch her speak at Behind the Bylines. “This event gives me the opportunity to showcase all the good and the bad—that while this job is not for the faint of heart, it was still meaningful to me to raise awareness about mental health.”
Whitley focused her presentation on two of her most impactful stories to date: one on men’s mental health and another on suicide awareness through the Contact Care Line.
Local community grief shapes the story
Managing Editor Ansley Graves outlined her experience covering a tragic car accident in Knoxville and its aftermath.
Through Graves’ storytelling, the audience lived through the month she spent sifting through audio recordings, pages upon pages of public records and accident reports, all while trying to honor Conor Dolin, who died on Dec. 18, 2022.
“The story is super important to me because I care deeply about the Dolon’s story. I wanted to make sure Klara [Conor’s sister] was able to find peace amidst the loss while trying to complete her final post-graduate year at UT,” said Graves. “The angle of the story was to give a platform to a student dealing with such an enormous tragedy while she was carrying out her normal day-to-day life, and simultaneously trying to preserve the memory of Conor.”
Graves not only serves as a key reporter for The Beacon, but aims to be an inspiring leader who uplifts her peers at every opportunity.
“Behind the Bylines gives students the chance to share an inside look at what it’s really like to be a student journalist. It highlights their work and showcases the magic behind the madness—the steps taken, the sources found, the hours poured in,” Graves said. “Being on the editorial board as managing editor is so special because I get to watch that passion grow into meaningful work. Our students at The Beacon are so passionate; they genuinely love what they do. ”