Reporter access

Some courts allow reporters with cameras and tape recorders to question lawyers, prosecutors, defendants, and others in the corridors, whereas others restrict the media to remaining outside the courthouse.

Good reporters attend the court hearings and trials even if the equipment is barred. They take detailed notes on what goes on for use in their reports. The reporter not only looks for important remarks and choice quotes from the judge, prosecutor, defense counsel, and witnesses but also makes note of facial expressions and other signs of emotion. If it’s a jury trial, the reactions of the jury members are particularly important because they may give some clue about how the case is going.

When cameras are not allowed in the court during an important case, an artist is usually assigned along with the reporter to render sketches of the principal figures.

Civil courts

When people believe that they have been damaged in one way or another by individuals, professionals, or companies, they may seek redress by suing in civil court. The suit may be for libel, malpractice, failure to live up to a contract or to pay a bill, or divorce (just to name a few). The loser in civil court usually ends up paying money. No one goes to jail as they once did when debtor prisons existed. But refusal to pay court-ordered alimony or child support is considered contempt of court, which could put the guilty party in jail.

Radio and TV newsrooms do not assign reporters to civil court trials because most of the cases are dull and relatively unimportant. But an unusual malpractice case involving millions of dollars or a class action suit against an automobile company for allegedly building an unsafe vehicle attracts broadcast media to the courthouse. Reporters also cover civil cases when celebrities are seeking damages for libel or are involved in a scandalous divorce or paternity suit.

As far as reporting assignments go, the rules are the same as those for covering the criminal courts. Attend the hearings and trials, take notes (particularly if you can’t use equipment inside), and try to speak with both sides outside the courthouse.

To cover crime efficiently, some of the basic contacts needed include:

■ Bureau of Justice statistics (www.bjs.gov)

■ city police’s PIO

■ civil and criminal court clerks (for obtaining dockets of cases to be tried)

■ county sheriff’s PIO

■ district attorney’s office

■ Federal Bureau of Investigation (www.fbi.gov) as well as your state’s Bureau of Investigation

■ State Highway Patrol.

Also, the Census Bureau at www.census.gov links to the Federal Statistical Abstract, which provides searchable statistics on crime.

Education

Reporters within the education beat have a wealth of information at their fingertips on an ongoing basis, as teachers, admin istrators, state review boards, principals, and a score of other stakeholders generate reports at a nonstop clip. The downside is that the journalist must pore over piles of documents that correspond to annual (January to December), academic (August to May), and fiscal (July to June) calendars, as well as keep up with an ever chang ing list of personalities.

Done correctly, the education beat can become one of the pillars of the newscast. Done poorly, the beat will drown in missed opportunities and forget table stories.

Name—Jade Bulecza

Job Title—Anchor and Reporter

Employer and Website—WCTV, Tallahassee, FL; wctv.tv

Social Media Outlets I Use— Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Typical Daily Duties—I can’t really say I have an average day. I anchor the 5pm newscast Monday–Friday. Prior to the newscast, I’ll go out on a story solo. That means shooting, writing, and editing my own material. The story might be a hard news story or a feature.

The day begins with a morning meeting where producers, anchors, and reporters bring their story ideas. From there, the assignment desk editor and producers decide what they want and then reporters go out and get the stories. Sometimes anchors will go live for the newscasts and not anchor. It all depends on what’s happening that day. Sometimes I fill in and co–anchor on the 6pm newscast.

I also work on franchise pieces on days when I’m not reporting. I have a weekly arts segment where I interview people in the community in studio, plus I have another segment where I interview law enforcement on safety tips for the community. Then I’m also part of an investigative team. The list goes on and on! It’s a fun job. I’m never bored.

FIGURE 5.4 Screenshot of www.bjs.gov homepage

The following list is a good starting point for compiling a contact list:

■ board of education (and superintendent)

■ colleges and universities

■ libraries

■ homeschool advocacy groups

■ private schools

■ public schools

■ teachers’ unions

■ vocational–technical schools.

FIGURE 5.5 www.racorn/Shutterstock.com

Entertainment/ Community

With the exception of a handful of large markets such as New York and Los Angeles, it is extremely difficult for a newsroom to justify an enter tainment reporter. Most reporters don’t live in metro areas packed with television stars, movie studios, recording artists, and red carpet debuts of feature films.

Instead, a reporter can carve out a niche as an entertainment/commu nity reporter, thus concentrating their efforts on filing feature stories for the E block, where the kickers are slated.

DEFINING TERM: Kicker—a feel-good feature story placed at the end of the newscast to leave viewers in a good mood and to serve as a springboard into the next program.

FAST FACT: CNN Newsource, an online video newsfeed, allows producers to search specifically for kickers to end their newscasts.

No producer wants to end a newscast on a down note about a double murder, only to then ask the anchors to gleefully promote Wheel of Fortune, The Tonight Show, or whatever light-hearted fare follows on the channel.

Thus, a strong E block is an integral part of any local newscast. Even though the stories may not have the hard-hitting news impact of an A-block crime report, journalists should still dedicate their best efforts to compiling a solid contact list. Some basics include:

■ amusement parks

■ art galleries

■ comedy clubs

■ conference centers

■ dance schools

■ historic districts

■ movie theaters

■ museums

■ parks department (administered by the city or county)

■ playhouses and stage theaters.

There are two distinct disadvantages to being an entertainment/community reporter. First, every local civic group, proud parent, bake sale sponsor, and wannabe actor will expect a fawning story; the list of demands can become unwieldy, the reports are expected to be universally glowing, and each story subject may very well expect a video copy for their own. Second, E-block reporters will quickly develop a reputation as someone who can only produce a puff piece at the end of the show. While there is merit to having a strong E block, the day will inevitably come when a “hard news” story, such as a deadly car crash or blazing fire,will demand coverage in a short-staffed newsroom. Even when such a crisis occurs, producers are leery of sending an entertainment reporter to file a critical report.

Environment

The growing concern for the environment in the past decade has encouraged broadcast news managers to allocate more news to the subject. In many newsrooms, the environment is still covered by general assignment reporters, but more and more news managers are hiring broadcast journalists who have become familiar with environmental problems. Knowledge of the subject can be acquired in college, but reporters often gain their expertise simply by taking the time to learn about the complex issues.

FAST FACT: The Society of Environmental Journalists at www.sej.org provides publications, grants, and extensive resources for those reporting on the environment.

Numerous periodicals deal with every aspect of the environment, and reporters intent on learning about environmental issues should spend many hours in the library reading these publications or should subscribe to them. A wide variety of environmental seminars also are offered throughout the country by private and government groups. The Environmental Health Center issues a newsletter; “Greenwire” is a news service offering stories about the environment; and the Society of Environmental Journalists provides help and resources for journalists trying to improve their knowledge of environmental issues. The Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) often discusses the environment at national and regional meetings. Helpful computer databases, such as the Toxic Release Inventory, which stores information on 366 toxic chemicals, are also available.

In addition to these sources, environmental stories thrive online with numerous websites dedicated to climate change, biodiversity, pollution, recycling, and assorted environmental issues. As a starting point, the following contacts should be collated:

■ civic groups that sponsor clean-ups (Boy Scouts, Keep America Beautiful)

■ Department of Natural Resources (or its equivalent in your state government)

■ dumps and landfills

■ Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov)

■ municipal sewage, refuse, and water departments

■ National Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org)

■ recycling organizations

■ Sierra Club (local chapters are listed at www.sierraclub.org/chapters).

Health

Health and medical subjects rank high in interest among radio and TV audiences for obvious reasons—we all want to remain healthy. Reporters with knowledge of health and medical issues are assets to news managers. Most large news staffs have someone assigned to a medical and health beat. Many broadcast news pro ducers regularly include health and medical stories in newscasts. Reporters do not have much trouble selling producers on a good medical story. Likewise, depend ing on the size of the market, good health and medical stories are usually not difficult to find.

Because they are public relations conscious, hospitals and research centers often bring stories involving their facilities or research to the atten tion of radio and TV news rooms. Listeners and viewers also provide tips on medicine-related stories, usually when someone close to them has been involved in some thing good or bad at a medical facility. Many tips concern malprac tice, but some involve life saving techniques and appealinghuman-interest stories about chil dren wait ing for organ transplants and the generosity of people who contri bute hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the surgery possible.

FIGURE 5.6 Find pollution information at www.scorecard.goodguide.com.

Objectivity is always an essential part of all reporting, but sometimes medical reporters must be partic ularly sensitive about their reports because providers often appear to be in the wrong. Doctors are accused of charging too much or refusing to accept Medicaid patients. Hospitals are criticized for turning away some patients and price gouging others. Many of these stories are true, but reporters must examine both sides of any issue. Reporters sometimes discover that hospitals are on the verge of financial collapse because of rising costs and heavy investment in equip ment. They find that the government is slow in paying Medicare patients’ bills and is often unrealistic when decid ing on the amount doctors can charge.

FIGURE 5.7 Screenshot of www.epa.gov homepage

Good medical reporters look for positive stories about doctors and hospitals to balance the negative ones. If and when reporters find they are beginning to dislike the medical profession as a whole, it’s probably time for them to start looking for another beat. Health and medical reporters also cannot allow them selves to be duped. They must constantly ask tough questions about the medical establishment and whether it is meet ing the needs of the American people.

Science and health-related courses in college help journalism students prepare for medical reporting. These students also should read the many health and medical magazines that are available. Teaching hospital libraries also have stacks of journals from major research centers. Although these resources are provided primarily for medical students, persuasive reporters usu ally have no difficulty gaining access to the journals once the staff is convinced the reporters are not malpractice attorneys.

Additionally, an excellent online resource is the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), which offers information including health news, tip sheets, and countless articles. Even more unique, the AHCJ hosts a section dedicated to career development. It lists jobs, fellowships, internships, and even a directory of independent health journalists.

In addition to joining this group, compiling a basic contact list should include the following starting points:

■ hospitals

■ local and/or regional health departments

■ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

■ local nonprofit chapters that specialize in health, such as the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, or the National Kidney Foundation

■ regional universities and colleges that offer studies in medical care, nursing, or any other health-related fields

■ PubMed, which is a database of more than 25 million citations from science journals and online books (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed).

It is also prudent to compile a list of local specialists, such as a pediatrician, an allergist, a dentist, and one or two experts in their fields. They can provide an abundance of specialized information, but beware that you do not call on them too frequently; using the same doctor on the air month after month smacks of both favoritism and laziness. To obtain a list of licensed doctors in your area, find your state’s licensing board for medical practitioners. Doctors must be licensed to prac tice medicine, thus there is a paper trail available to track them down.

FIGURE 5.8 www.mister_Art/Shutterstock.com

Local Government

Notice that the emphasis on this beat is for local government. Unless a reporter lives in a state capital or Washington, DC, covering politics tends to focus on those juris dictions within the viewing area. Of course, there are always national bills and laws that impact local viewers; the best website for tracking that activity is www.congress.gov. Additionally, knowledge of state government is vital, as a reporter will interact with the governor’s office, state representatives, and state agencies such as transportation and health.

FIGURE 5.9 Screenshot of www.cdc.gov homepage

There are also ample stories to be covered at the local level, spanning city council meetings to planning and zoning public forums. Indeed, if the city’s television station does not cover the working of the city council, who could argue that the public need for news is being addressed?

Like a police station, most municipalities have a PIO who interacts with the media. The PIO may serve as the default on-camera interview subject or may coordinate availability for city leaders to meet with the press. In addition to the local PIO, other useful contacts with local government include:

■ advisory boards

■ city council

■ county commission

■ planning and zoning commission.

Additionally, the local government may have oversight regarding the airport, the animal shelter, and a host of other entities. If the government provides a budget or personnel, expect that agency to fall under this beat’s responsibilities.

Military

Of all of the beats listed, the restrictions placed on military reporters make it the most difficult to cover. The personnel involved are extremely limited in what they can say on camera; even a military base’s PIO may not be able to say much. Also, if reporters have limited military knowledge, their civilian background will hamper their reporting. After all, why should a serviceman trust a reporter who can’t even tell the differ-ence between a lieutenant and a sergeant?

FIGURE 5.10 www.jcarillet/iStockphoto.com

In addition to the following sources listed, some stories may be found at local businesses that serve mili tary personnel. If the base is closing or the soldiers are being deployed, the businesses suffer. Conversely, when the soldiers come home, those shops and restaurants are among the first to benefit. For starters, the military contact list should include:

■ collegiate ROTC groups

■ military bases’ PIOs

■ National Guard units

■ recruiting offices

■ veterans’ groups.

The Department of Defense’s official website, www.defense.gov, provides a wealth of data sources. It is also a good idea to bookmark the branch of the military that impacts your area. For example, if you have an Air Force base in your region, you should add both www.af.mil and the base’s individual website to your list.

One wrinkle in covering these stories is when the military allows a reporter to be embedded into a field unit. This is not a casual relationship. It takes weeks (sometimes months) of coordination between the newsroom and the military unit, plus the Pentagon or Defense Department will have input. Embedded journalists gain a unique, first-hand experience in seeing what conditions are faced by the troops on the ground, even though they are limited in what they can say on air. For example, the reporter obviously cannot broadcast specific positions or attack plans. But if embedded relationships are treated with respect, the end result is a powerful experience for the viewer at home.

Science/Technology

Science and technology are both broad categories, spanning fields ranging from astronomy to zoology. Most reporters specialize in technological advances that impact consumers directly. Because cell phones, high-definition television, and computer software stories evolve on an almost daily basis, there is ample opportunity for reporters who can keep up. One successful nationally syndicated radio program, The Kim Komando Show, thrives on such technological stories.

There are ample resources for science and technology writers online. An excellent resource is the National Association of Science Writers, which offers discussion boards, publications, articles, and a number of events at its website www.nasw.org.

While gathering national resources for science and technology is comparatively easy, it gets tougher at the local level. The greatest challenge with developing a list of nearby contacts is that many will be vendors of specific products. For example, because those most knowledgeable about cell phones will likely be those who sell the phones, the stories can quickly become nothing more than thinly cloaked advertisements for one product over another.

One good starting point would be a local university, where the faculty will have specialized training in the technological fields and can give impartial interviews. Otherwise, proceed very cautiously, lest you become a cheerleader for one store or another.

Sports

Covering sports is the same as covering any other beat, except that viewers have come to expect it in their nightly newscasts; there may very well be a newscast without a health story, but sports never gets a day off. Sports reporters must have an in-depth knowledge of all local sports teams, rivalries, star players, coaches, playing venues, and countless other details to make their reports better than competing sportscasts. Additionally, they’re expected to know about national teams who represent the region in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.

Many people are attracted to broadcast sports reporting because of their interest in sports and because they think it’s more fun than covering city council meetings. The problem is that so many beginners have the same idea that not enough opportunities are available to provide jobs for them all. TV stations that may have six or more general assignment reporters usually have only one full-time sports reporter-anchor.

FAST FACT: Kim Komando graduated high school at age 16 and Arizona State University at age 20.

FAST FACT: The NFL is a nonprofit organization. It files 501(c)(6) forms because it is exempt from some federal income taxes.

Sports reporting also requires some additional skills that general reporting does not. Personality has become important; knowing sports inside out is not enough anymore. Most news managers look for sports people who can attract an audience with their style of delivery. Training at the collegiate level is also required, as covering the local team demonstrates a commitment to the field.

Good organizational skills also are important. Sports reporters, particularly in small markets, are expected to cover local games and to be able to cut a lot of video quickly from a variety of sports contests that are being recorded throughout the evening. Sports seasons tend to overlap, which means that college and professional football and basketball games are often held at the same times as professional hockey matches, amid a variety of other sports. Many stations also cover high school sports. Collecting all this information and cutting video of all these activities is demanding.

How does a journalism student prepare for a sports reporting job? The best way is probably through an internship. Sports reporters look for sharp college students who know sports and know how to edit video. Quick learners may find that they soon cover high school games and even anchor on the weekends. Because most sports anchors, like news anchors, are looking for opportunities in larger markets, frequent turnovers sometimes occur at the sports desk. The weekend sports person who learns the job well sometimes gets the sports anchoring job during the week.

Sports anchors with a lot of talent and personality can demand good salaries in large markets. Like other anchors, they often are subject to the ratings and whims of management. Job security is less certain for sports anchors than it is for most beat and general assignment reporters.

To strengthen their reporting skills, sports journalists should be more than mere spectators who report scores; they should study their craft and network with others on a national scale. Organizations such as the Associated Press Sports Editors sponsor conferences, host contests, and even maintain a jobs and internship section on their website.

FIGURE 5.11 www.Vlad1988/Shutterstock.com

Sports reporters have possibly the easiest list of contacts to compile, especially since all professional teams (as well as most universities) have a sports information director (SID) who serves as a gateway to stories. In addition to these SIDs, the basics of a contact list should include the coaches and star athletes from:

■ local high school teams

■ regional university teams

■ regional and state professional teams

■ stadium and arena officials.

Weather

While none of the previously listed beats requires formal training, weather is its own special niche that has a certifying association. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) oversees a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) program. This certification means the holder has both the experience and the educational background necessary to accurately provide weather information to a viewing audience. The AMS previously sponsored a Seal of Approval program, although that was discontinued in 2008.

The current CBM certification is not something to be entered into lightly. Successful applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science, pass an AMS test, and provide a DVD of their weathercasts to the Board of Broadcast Meteorology for review. There is also a fee for the testing: $300 for AMS members and $600 for nonmembers.

Of course, AMS certification is not required to provide the weather outlook to the audience. Those who do not pass the certification go by the title “weatherman,” whereas those who have passed the AMS criteria may call themselves “broadcast meteorologists.”

The skillset for the weatherman in the newsroom is specialized. Station managers look for personality along with a knowledge of maps, computers, and chroma-key technology. The auditions for weather anchors are considerably different from auditions for beat reporters. Although the news director looks for good writing and reporting skills, the general manager looks for a great smile and a quick wit.

FIGURE 5.12

Websites for those giving weather information are fairly limited, although they can be expanded by adding local farmers, pilots, or others who are directly impacted by the weather. The usual Internet bookmarks are:

■ the American Meteorological Society

■ the National Weather Service.

It should be noted that most newsrooms have dedicated software for designing weather maps and forecasts; these may also be linked to sources for accurate weather information.