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
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