Friday, 29 December 2017

Reporting beats



                                       Reporting Beats


   
What is a BEAT?
Specific areas covered regularly by a specific reporter.

 TYPICAL BEATS INCLUDE:

  •  City & County Government
  •  Education 
  •  Police 
  •  Religion 
  •  Science/Environment/Medicine
  •  Business 
  •  Sports


Beat Reporters


  •  A good reporter is: 
  •  Familiar with general background 
  •  Knows specific language of area
  •  Asks right questions 
  •  Recognizes newsworthy info
  •  Writes understandable stories for unfamiliar readers
  •  Beat Story Ideas 
  •  Regular  coverage
  •  Journalist enterprise—often more in-depth


 Beat reporters tell audiences not only what is happening, but how to get involved.

How to cover a BEAT:


  •   Be Prepared
  •   Research background & talk to sources
  •   Be Alert 
  •   Know who will benefit from coverage 
  •   Note who is for & against it
  •   Be Persistent 
  •   Insist on clear answers
  •   Follow-up slow developments 
  •   Be There 
  •   No substitute for personal contact
  •   Be Accurate
  •   Reflective listen and clarify
  •   Be Wary 
  •   You are a reporter not participant 
  •   Write for readers not sources


Reporting Tips


  •  Beat reporting is like gardening…news is cultivated & grows slowly 
  •  Regular follow-up 
  •  Don’t give up!
  •  Building Relationships:  
  •  Build goodwill
  •  Don’t shun good news 
  •  Protect sources if necessary
  •  Ask questions… 


  Does it make sense to me? 
 How can I make sense to my readers?
 Writing for Readers

  •  Translate 
  •  Make technical, specialized language clear 
  •  Make your writing human 
  •  State how information will impact real people
  •  Think of the public pocket book
  •  Find out how much it cost the public 
  •  Get out of the office 
  •  Go where news is happening
  •  Don’t rely on other accounts (web, reports, etc.) 
  •  Ask the readers’ questions 
  •  Practical Principles for Beat Reporters
  •  Information is Power
  •  Money is key 
  •  The budget is the blueprint
  •  Distributing power and money is politics

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shahkar

شاہکار یہ لفظ سنتے ہی ہر کسی کے ذہن میں ایک عکس بن جاتا ہے اب یہ ہر کسی کے سوچنے پر منحصر کرتا ہے کہ وہ اس لفظ سے کس چیز کا عکس ...