Chapter 11 Summary

Chapter 11 of Telling the Story describes beat reporting and the various types of beat reporting. Beat reporting is known as "the regular coverage of a topic a governmental agency or even a geographic area" and is the core of daily journalism.

Common beat topics include city and county, education, police, the court system, science, and sports.

Regardless of the topic, beat reporters must be prepared, persistent, and present. Good sources are essential to beat reporting and showing preparation, being persistent with questions, and being there when the news happens are all important steps in attaining good information from good sources.

Each project takes time, anywhere from six months to three years. In this time, reporters will most likely get to know the people they are reporting on very well; therefore, it is important reporters do not write with bias and stick to maintaining accuracy, taking sources' information with a healthy amount of wariness.

Although there will not be a new breaking story on a beat topic every day, many developments in a beat story may influence readers economically, socially or otherwise, so all information is to be regarded as important. Beat reporters are the eyes and ears for readers.

Word Count: 200

Political News This Week

Harry Reid Says He Won't Seek Re-Election

Democratic senator Harry Reid of Nevada announced Friday morning that he will not seek re-election next year. Reid, age seventy-five, has served in the Senate for thirty years. When his term runs out in 2016, the top Democratic seat of the Senate will be open, as well as a Nevada Senate seat.


Secret Service imposes tougher drinking and driving rules

As a reaction to a recent alleged DUI incident, the Secret Service is imposing stricter policies for drinking and driving among its staff. These strengthened policies prohibit staff from driving government vehicles within ten hours after drinking. These new drinking and driving policies were put into affect Monday.


Ted Cruz Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign on Twitter

Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced that he is running for president just after midnight Monday. Several hours later, forty-four-year-old Cruz made his campaign speech at the conservative Christian college Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, along with his wife and two young daughters.

Disneyland Measles Outbreak: PR Board Questions

According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious, airborne disease, the earliest signs of which include fever, runny nose, red eyes, cough and sore throat. Soon, a rash forms, beginning on the face and behind the ears, and eventually spreading to the rest of the body. It is a respiratory disease caused by a virus and was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. This means it is no longer native to the country, even though there are several cases of outbreak every year. There were 102 reports of the measles in January, the majority of which came from an outbreak that occurred in Disneyland in December of last year. As of February 27, there were 179 reported cases. There is a vaccine (taken in two doses) against the measles that is typically given to children; each state has different policies regarding the vaccine, some very restrictive on who can opt out, others not restrictive at all. Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children for religious reasons or personal beliefs.  Public health officials believe an immunization rate of at least 90 percent in all communities, including schools, is critical to minimizing the potential for a disease outbreak (US News).



CDC: 102 measles cases in January, most stemming from Disney outbreak
NPR: Disneyland Measles Outbreak Hits 59 Cases and Counting 
Tougher laws a likely legacy of the Disneyland measles outbreak
U.S. News: Disneyland Measles Outbreak Spurs Action
CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks

Questions for the PR Board:

1. What is being done to help prevent an outbreak like this from occurring again?
2. Is there currently a risk of contracting measles at Disneyland, or are visitors safe?
3. How is the measles spread if most people are vaccinated?
4. There have been reports that several of the people infected were vaccinated. How is this possible?
5. What the Orange County Health Care Agency doing about vaccinated students in the county      schools?
6. Does Disneyland require employees to be vaccinated against the measles?
7. What is being done to raise awareness of the measles outbreak?
8. Do you think that this outbreak will lead to vaccinations becoming required?
9. What is being done on the national level to prevent the virus from coming into the U.S.?
10. How should parents protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated?