Guidance for those struggling with beat reports

Never mind the hippies, how are you doing on your beat reports due Monday?

I've talked to a couple of people who have been struggling with format. I've left it up to you how you format your report. Still, if you'd like a little structure, I'd expect every beat report to have sections such as:

• This is my beat -- A broad overview. Spend some time thinking about what your beat encompasses.
• Recent news on my beat -- Spend some time reading both local news about your beat (Missoulian, Indy, New West, Kaimin) and national news. Remember that specialty publications may help you understand your beat, eg. The Chronicle of Higher Education is something higher ed reporters should look at; K-12 reporters should see Ed Week.
• Key sources on my beat -- People, publications etc. that you anticipate using as sources on your beat for the rest of the semester. This part should be for you, not me. If you know how to get a hold of people now, if you've already introduced yourself to them and asked for their help, it'll be easier to get ahold of them when your big story breaks.
• The schedule on my beat -- Are there regular meetings or annual events that are going to happen on your beat this semester? Figure that out and put it in your report.
• Story ideas -- Every step of the way you should have felt the wheels turning. The more you learn about your beat, the more story ideas should tumble into your mind. Write them down. Get your notebooks going. You don't have to pursue every story, but keeping track of your story ideas will give you a well to get to when you thirst for your next story idea.

I hope that helps. See you on Monday when we'll talk about beat stories for the week ahead, review writing you submitted earlier and talk about the Internet and the scavenger hunt.

Have a great weekend.