Tuesday, November 20, 2007
How Do I Cover a Beat?
Q. I'm coming up on my second year at a 95,000-plus daily. I was just moved to a city hall beat, which I love. But I'm facing a little problem: There are things I am expected to do that I was never taught at J-school.
Mainly it has to do with sourcing. How do I get people to tip me off? Won't they be worried about losing their jobs? How do I identify people who are chatty and willing to reveal things? How do I know how to read between the lines?
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I wish these were questions I could ask my editors, but any sign of weakness around here results in fewer opportunities. Meanwhile, my editors are telling me I need to break more stories and report hard news.
Is there a book or a blog or a person I could look to for some advice?
Looking for a hot tipA. I'll answer your question, but let me first try some between-the-lines reading of my own.
It is a good sign that your editors trust you with city hall, but I am troubled that you have these questions after almost a year of reporting and that you can't go to your editors. That could be a recipe for disaster.
But you're taking steps.
In a nutshell, you have to draw out a map of your new beat, identify its main compartments and develop sources in all of them -- a high-level official source and someone who sees everything from a different perspective and who might give you background information -- even confidentially. Some people refuse to talk to reporters. Others can't resist. You have to spend time, drop business cards and watch to see who is receptive. Source-building can take time -- years, even. But you have to develop some quickly.
A few leads:
- "The Write Stuff," [PDF] a tipsheet from reporters at The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
- More from the No TraIn, No Gain site
Your main teachers will be people, not books or articles. If your editors can't or won't help, start buying coffee for co-workers, retired city workers, sympathetic people who now work for the city. You can develop sources in all those areas.
Coming Wednesday: He has accepted a fall internship 11 months in the future and wonders whether he can list it as he applies for summer internships that will occur before the one in fall.
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