A step-by-step approach for college journalists on how to cover a beat

1. RACHELE KANIGEL

2.  Beats help reporters focus their reporting
 Beats help sources know who to contact with
story ideas & concerns
 Beats help keep reporters from stepping on
each other’s toes
 Professional news organizations want to see
prospective reporters can cover a beat

3. 1 Identify your beat – what does it include?
2 Develop sources – people who are
knowledgeable about your beat
3 Identify resources – publications, websites,
data sources
4 Use social media tools to expand your
network
5 Hunt for story ideas

4. Ask yourself:
 What does this beat encompass?
 What do I need to learn about this beat?
 Who are the major players on the beat –
faculty, administrators, students, staff, leader
s of organizations?
 What are the major issues/problems/conflicts
on your beat?

5.  Consider everyone – classmates, professors,
janitors, the baristas at the local coffeehouse
– a source
 Compile a list of potential sources, including
titles, phone numbers, email addresses
 Introduce yourself to sources – set up
appointments for coffee, drop in on
professors’ offices
 Tell people what you’re looking for – story
ideas, problems, issues, frustrations

6.  Look for publications, websites, blogs related
to your beat – follow them
 Look for data sources – police
logs, reports, audits
 Set up a Google news alert for topics related
to your beat

8.  Find and follow sources on Twitter
 Follow discussions on Twitter, Facebook &
Google+
 Don’t just lurk; ask questions, seek sources,
invite discussion

9.  Read other news outlets
 Look for changes – new businesses, new
employees, administrative changes, new
policies
 Scan bulletin boards
 Talk to people – ask what’s new, what bothers
them

10. For more information
Read The Student Newspaper
Survival Guide, Second Edition
Order a copy at
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCD
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