Beat reporting

Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism that can be described as the craft of in-depth reporting on a particular issue, sector, organization or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with the topic, allowing them to provide insight and commentary in addition to reporting straight facts. This distinguishes them from other journalists who might cover similar stories from time to time.[1]

Etymology

The term comes from the noun beat in the sense of an assigned regular route or habitual path, as for a policeman. By analogy, the beat of a reporter is the topic they have been assigned for reporting.[2]

Prizes

Several organizations award prizes for beat reporting, of which the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting, discontinued in 2007, is possibly the best known. Other awards that have a category for beat reporting include the Gerald Loeb Awards[3], the Canadian National Newspaper Awards,[4] and the SEJ Awards.[5]

References

  1. ^ Ralph S. Izard; Hugh M. Culbertson; Donald A. Lambert (1994). "11. The Specialist at Work: Beat Reporting". Fundamentals of News Reporting. Kendall/Hunt. pp. 215ff. ISBN 0-8403-7607-3. 
  2. ^ V. S. Gupta (2003). Handbook of Reporting and Communication Skills. Concept Publishing Company. p. 50. ISBN 81-806-9043-1. 
  3. ^ "Gerald Loeb Awards". UCLA Anderson School of Management. http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x3287.xml. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
  4. ^ "List of winners since 1949: Beat Reporting/Journalisme spécialisé". National Newspaper Awards. http://www.nna-ccj.ca/wordpress_dev/wordpress/?page_id=64&lang=en#22. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
  5. ^ "SEJ 2011 Awards — Rules". Society of Environmental Journalists. http://www.sej.org/initiatives/awards/2011-rules. Retrieved 2011-10-20.