presentation for class

1. Film Department Graphic Design
Student Life
Photo Department
Clubs Events
Any defined area of
Coverage Student Government
Activities
Theater
Creative Writing Department

2.  Define the beat
 Make a list of initial key people to talk to, and
possible story ideas
 Set up interviews
 Leave every interview with a story idea and
the name of someone else to talk to
 Start a “tickler” file

3.  What are the issues within your beat?
 What entities does your beat include?
 Who are the official people within your beat?
 What kinds of public meetings/events happen
in your beat?
 What kinds of public documents exist in your
beat?

4.  Top 10 people to meet.
 What events are happening within your beat.
 What written information is already out there?
 What stories do the people within your beat
think should be told?

5.  Beat reporting—literally: make the rounds
 Reading the news
 Reading bulletin boards, virtual and real
 Attending events and meetings
 Press conferences
 Monitoring groups and issues via the Internet

6.  Create a system for
tracking who you’re
talking to and what
you’re working on:
meetings,
interviews, public
requests. Share
these with your
editor or other
writers to get more
ideas.

7.  Make regular lunch,
coffee, coffee,
snack, cocktail (if
you’re over 21)
meetings with
potential sources.
 Get out as much as
possible
 Talk to people
when you don’t
need them.
 Don’t rely on the
Internet.

8.  Read other publications, looking for stories
that you could do in your community
 Read virtual and real bulletin boards to look
for strange events, calls to action
 Use Social Media to find stories and find
sources.
.

9.  A reporter’s knowledge of a story should be
shared completely with the photographer
 Work together to come up with ideas for the
best way to visually capture the essence of a
story, whether it’s a profile or a larger feature
 The reporter and photographer should be
together for this process
 Try a variety of shots, from candid to more
contrived