How to Be a Beat Writer

To be a true beat writer is to know your beat inside and out, up and down. It can take a while to really get acclimated to a beat. Whether it's sports, politics, technology, business or anything in between, you need to know the major players, history and up-to-the minute news on your beat.

Instructions

1. Know the people: Before you can really get started you have to know the major players on your beat. Introduce yourself to them as soon as you start on your beat. Call them, email them or better yet, get a chance to talk to them in person. Remember that they need the media and you as much as you need them. The key to being a good beat writer is to form a solid give-and-take relationship with your "gatekeepers".

2. Learn the history of your beat: It's much easier to interview people and much easier to report on something if you aren't learning about it for the first time as you start. Read up on your beat, talk to the former beat writer at your publication if possible and ask lots of questions that may not even pertain to the article you're writing when conducting interviews. The more you know, the less you'll be scrambling for facts at deadline time.

3. Rival publications are part of your beat: Read your competitors, and even try to forge a relationship with their beat writers. Obviously, don't share your exclusive information, but there is plenty to discuss and learn with others that are as familiar with your subject matter as you are.

4. Do not get emotionally involved: No matter how close you may become with a particular source, you may have to print something that they don't want you to. In sports, you can't become a fan of your team. In politics, you can't become too supportive of one politician. In business, you can't hope for the success of a certain stock or business. You have to remain objective, which can be hard because most beat writers are "people persons" which generally leads to very strong relationships.

5. Don't be afraid to burn a bridge, but be selective in when and how you do it: Sometimes a reporter has to ignore the little fish to fry the big fish. If someone has been a great source for you and can continue to be, you don't want to burn them. However, you can't cover something up, either. If you know of something that's newsworthy that will make a long-time source of yours look bad, you'll have to pull the trigger, even if you don't want to. More often than not, even if your source is angry with you, in time they will understand the business side of journalism and will often admire your professionalism.

Tips & Warnings

• You have to be a genuinely nice person to be a good reporter. Sometimes you have to print things that aren't so nice, but the truth is, being a beat writer is about building great relationships with all of your sources.

• Keep an open mind. The direction of a story can change drastically - and multiple times at that - between the time it's presented at an editorial meeting, until the time its printed.