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
Editor's Notes
Some of these are not necessarily applicable to this endeavor.