Be a Beat Writer

A beat writer is a journalist who covers a beat, a specific area of interest, on a regular basis. Beat writers are usually experienced reporters and are considered experts on their beat.[1] To be a successful beat writer, it is important that you build a writing portfolio to demonstrate your experience and skills, learn everything you can about your beat, and deliver accessible, honest, and reliable reports.

Steps

Building a Writing Portfolio

  1. Take journalism classes to improve your writing skills. Reporters that are assigned to a beat are usually experienced journalists with years of writing under their belts. Taking journalism classes or getting a journalism degree will help you improve your writing skills while building your writing portfolio.[2]
    • Although getting a journalism degree is not necessary to be a beat writer, it may help you get a job faster if you are new to the field.[3]
    • While taking classes, check to see if your school has a newspaper. Writing for your school newspaper can provide an extra opportunity to gain hands-on experience and add published work to your portfolio.
  2. Work as a freelance writer. A freelance writer is a writer who is self-employed and writes for more than one publication at a time. While freelance writers who are just starting out often cover a diverse array of topics, many become more specialized as they gain experience and expertise in specific areas.[4] Freelance writing is a great way to build your writing portfolio while narrowing down your areas of interest and expertise.
    • Try contacting the editor of your local or regional newspaper and ask about freelancing opportunities.
    • If you are just starting out, you may want to contact media entities and offer to write a few articles without pay. Editors looking for a beat writer will want to see examples of previous work, so it might be worth it to write articles without pay to help build your writing portfolio.[5]
  3. Apply for a journalism internship. An internship at a newspaper, magazine, or news station is a great option for journalists looking to build their portfolio. Writers assigned to a beat generally have a lot of writing experience. If you are relatively new to the field, an internship will enable you to gain writing experience while improving your investigative skills.[6]
    • When looking for an internship, try to choose an option that will allow you to gain experience writing about your desired beat. If you want to be a music beat writer, for example, focus on finding an internship at an entertainment magazine or in the entertainment department at a newspaper.
  4. Start a blog to establish your reputation. If you know what you want your beat to be, starting a blog on your area of interest is a great way to build your writing portfolio while establishing yourself as an expert. While you may not earn money for your blog, it can enable you to build your writing portfolio without getting hired by a media entity.
    • For example, if you want to be a sports beat writer, create a blog that focuses on one or more of the sports organizations in your area.
  5. Showcase your best writing samples in your professional portfolio. Once you have some writing experience under your belt, put together your writing portfolio. In general, aim to have about 10 to 20 examples of your work in your portfolio to effectively convey your interests, experience, and skills.[7] When selecting writing samples to include, prioritize the examples most closely related to your beat.
    • Put the most relevant samples in the front. You want your objective to be clear from the beginning, so it is important that any editors looking at your portfolio are aware of your specific interests and expertise.
    • Whether you choose a digital or paper format for your portfolio will depend on your career goals and personal preference. If you are seeking a position as a beat writer for a digital magazine, for example, create a digital portfolio.

Mastering Your Topic

  1. Research background information on your topic. Successful beat writers are well-versed in the history of their beat and are constantly striving to learn more about their topic.[8] To do this, you should consult a wide variety of resources to learn the background and understand why it's important to your audience.
    • For example, if you are hired as a local politics beat writer, it is crucial that you research the political history in the area, including the major trends, events, and people involved.
    • Reading old articles written by beat writers on your topic might be a good place to start. This will help you learn the history and help you get a grasp on the types of articles produced in the past.
  2. Get to know the people involved in your beat. Your goal is to know your beat inside and out, so be sure to build a rapport with potential sources and get to know the major players in the industry. Networking effectively can help you cultivate contacts who can provide valuable information for your reports.
    • For example, if you are covering the local sports beat, getting to know coaches, staff members, and other experts from various sports organizations is crucial.
    • Building a rapport with the major players can also help you identify and better understand the key issues and concerns.
    • Remember to always approach your contacts with respect and understanding. Your goal is to cultivate a long-standing and mutually-beneficial relationship with your contacts.
  3. Verse yourself in the specialized language or jargon. Understanding and using your beat's particular vocabulary establishes your expertise and shows others that you're serious about your work. It can also guide you when you're coming up with questions to ask your contacts.[9]
    • If you work as a healthcare beat writer, for example, you should understand enough health-related terminology to intelligently communicate with doctors or other healthcare personnel.
  4. Get involved in industry activities and events. Immerse yourself in the activities and events associated with your beat to develop a high level of expertise. Getting involved also allows you to meet more important people and helps you stay on top of primary interests, issues, and concerns.
    • For example, if you want to be a political beat writer, attend political rallies and demonstrations, watch televised speeches, and talk with constituents about what is important to them.

Writing a Successful Beat Column

  1. Check your information for accuracy. It's crucial that the information you provide to your audience is reliable and factually sound. Always double check the information provided by contacts or other resources before publishing your column. Readers will expect expertise, good writing, and clear, factually-based analysis.[10]
  2. Write as objectivity as you can. Beat writers are expected to provide unbiased, factually-based information. You probably won't be asked to write opinion pieces.
    • As a beat writer, remaining objective can get increasingly difficult as you learn more about your topic and develop industry relationships. To avoid unintended biases, review your work carefully before publishing.
    • It can also be helpful to get someone else to review your work for objectivity.
  3. Choose the right stories for your audience. Maintain communication with the people involved in your beat, attend events and activities, and continuously research and read industry related media to get an idea of what readers want. Be sure to stay on top of breaking stories so you can deliver compelling and informative reports.
  4. Make your writing accessible for your intended audience. Your audience probably won't have the level of expert knowledge you have about the topic. Be sure to translate jargon using plain language so that your information will make sense to your readers. The role of a beat writer is to ensure that their audience understands the significance of their topic completely.
  5. Follow any specific writing and formatting protocol. If you are hired as a beat writer for a media entity, it is likely that your organization will have specific writing and formatting guidelines for you to follow. Writing style and formatting protocol will vary depending on your position, but it's important to follow the required guidelines and write with sound grammar and punctuation.
    • Newspapers, for example, will likely expect you to maintain a similar tone across issues to ensure consistency. Newspapers also have a finite amount of space, which will determine how you format and edit your writing.
    • Working as a beat writer for a blog, on the other hand, will likely enable you to produce more in-depth reporting with more writing and formatting flexibility. [11]

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://theconversation.com/why-the-demise-of-specialist-reporters-is-a-loss-for-any-democracy-107196
  2. ↑ https://penandthepad.com/how-2108086-be-sports-beat-writer.html
  3. ↑ https://penandthepad.com/how-2108086-be-sports-beat-writer.html
  4. ↑ https://www.writersbureau.com/writing/what-is-a-freelance-writer.htm
  5. ↑ https://penandthepad.com/how-2108086-be-sports-beat-writer.html
  6. ↑ https://journalismdegree.org/careers/beat-reporter/
  7. ↑ https://www.clippings.me/writing-portfolio-how-to
  8. ↑ https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2002/beat-reporting-what-does-it-take-to-be-the-best/
  9. ↑ https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2002/beat-reporting-what-does-it-take-to-be-the-best/
  10. ↑ http://theconversation.com/why-the-demise-of-specialist-reporters-is-a-loss-for-any-democracy-107196
  11. ↑ https://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/13-ways-a-reporter-should-use-a-beat-blog/ 
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