Michael Jonas works with Laura in overseeing CommonWealth Beacon coverage and editing the work of reporters. His own reporting has a particular focus on politics, education, and criminal justice reform.
Michael has worked in journalism in Massachusetts since the early 1980s. Before joining the CommonWealth staff in 2001, he was a contributing writer for the magazine for two years. His story on Boston youth outreach workers was selected for a PASS (Prevention for a Safer Society) Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. His CommonWealth work has also won awards from Capitol Beat for state government coverage and from the New England Newspaper & Press Association for work in several areas.
Prior to coming to CommonWealth, for 15 years Michael wrote a weekly column on local politics for the Boston Globe. Michael has also worked in broadcast journalism. In the late 1980s he was a co-producer for “The AIDS Quarterly,” a national PBS series produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, and in the early 1990s, he worked as a producer for a weekly news magazine program on WHDH-TV (Ch. 7) in Boston.
The top 5 CommonWealth Beacon commentary topics in 2025
Competitive mayoral races abound, just not in Boston
Why elect sheriffs anyway?
Ali Noorani tapped as new Barr Foundation president
Galvin pursuing ballot question on same-day voter registration
Remove restrictions that limit more housing? Rein in rents? Voters may face dueling ballot questions advancing competing ideas.
Kraft 2.0 looks a lot like the first version
Harvard, MIT face steep endowment tax under Trump bill
As Holyoke schools exit state oversight, new scrutiny for receivership law
New Bedford building poised to rise as artist space — again
Boston stays the course, despite Trump yanking violence prevention grants
State board approves lottery admissions for vocational high schools
Senate stays out of vocational admissions debate – for now
House leader looks to put brakes on vocational school admission changes
Push for the ‘right to read’ landing at State House
Mass. education secretary’s votes reflect growing Democratic hostility toward charter schools
Kitty Dukakis, a champion for the dispossessed who spoke openly of her struggles with depression and addiction, dies at 88
Voc-tech admissions saga zigzags toward finish line
Mass. education secretary casts string of anti-charter school votes
Boston office tower going on the auction block
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