By: Courtney Campbell
Beat reporting, or specialized reporting, requires a journalist to get in-depth on a particular topic, whether it is weather, politics, education, entertainment or sports. Over time a reporter will have great knowledge and familiarity on the topic while building connections with reputable sources. This not only gives the reporter a resource to quickly find a story on the beat, but it also builds credibility with the audience and other media outlets, which could lead to future jobs.
Some of the best kind of reporting is known as “shoe-leather.” I means walking and talking to people on the street and finding out needs and concerns that lead to a powerful story. It are these local stories that audiences are most drawn to because it connects and relates to them. This is why journalists need to maintain their watchdog roles and monitoring the community for the greater good. These local stories can be found from any beat, which is why every reporter needs to keep an eye out.
The stories in chapter two of America’s Best Newspaper Writing highlight reporters who have each mastered their beat. Each one has developed their own style from constantly reporting on the same topic, producing great pieces.
Rick Bragg “All She Has, $150,000, Is Going to a University”
Bragg follows a storyteller’s approach to new, by listening to others tell long, detailed stories and covering them. While reporting for the New York Times, he explored the South and shared the stories of the people there in grave detail. Bragg’s words puts the reader into the story, which is shown in his coverage of an 87-year-old washerwoman, Oseala McCarty, in Mississippi who uses her savings for a college scholarship.
Bragg’s gave description is evident throughout the piece, enhancing the phrase “cleans laundry” with “she took in bundles of dirty clothes and made them clean and neat for parties she never attended, weddings to which she was never invited, graduations she never saw.” This lengthier wording really explains what this woman does in a more interesting way.
He also uses parallels to connect the two sides of the story, writing that McCarthy’s dying wish is to see the graduation of the student who receives her gift, which reflects back to “the graduations she never saw,” in the lede. The stories of the recipient, Stephanie Bullock, and McCarthy are similar: both have worked since they were children and without this scholarship Bullock would be unable to attend college. Recognizing this shows that Bragg’s has mastered the art of connecting people.
Thomas Boswell “Losing It: Careers Fall Like Autumn Leaves”
Writing as a sports columnist for The Washington Post, Boswell has mastered the art of describing baseball. He takes from classic literature, building a climax within his stories by including more descriptive language before bringing it back down again. He does this in his story of baseball careers ending because of old age.
“Age is the sweeper, injury is his broom.” Boswell uses tight, descriptive writing to show a falling career while relating it back to baseball terms. This is not just great storytelling, but it also shows that he know what he is talking about in relation to the sport, making him credible.
Boswell also connects these fallen players to the love of the game. They attempt to play for as long as possible, but the end is inevitable. He repeats that “age, with his broom of injury, will sweep them out someday,” connecting it back to the lede and bringing the story full circle.
Jonathan Bor “It Fluttered and Became Bruce Murray’s Heart”
Bor focuses on the health and medicine beat for The Post-Standard. He uses an “hourglass” pattern to describe a heart transplant story he wrote in 90 minutes after reporting without sleep. The larger news elements of how the surgery occurred stand out in the beginning and then flow into a chronological series of events, from finding a donor to recovering from surgery.
The lede of the piece took center stage. “A healthy 17-year-old heart pumped the gift of life through 34-year-old Bruce Murray…” Not only is it a descriptive comparison between the ages of the donor and recipient, but it also puts more focus on the surgery by stating “heart” instead of the donor first.
What is also truly remarkable about this story are the details Bor was able to get from being on the floor with the surgeons, making him just as tired as them but allowed him to get action quotes from nameless technicians.
Mitch Albom “Mackenzie Football Star Another Gunplay Victim”
Albom knows sports and he knows how to keep it interesting as a columnist for the Detroit Free Press. His article on Dewon Jones, begins as if it is another story of sports stars that are lost to violence. However, he keeps it lively by adding a plot twist: Jones survives.
He draws the reader in by beginning with Jones’s experience with guns at the age of 10 and another at 12, rather than jumping into the juicy tale of his most recent, deathly encounter. This narrative allows the reader to see how much guns have impacted this young man’s life and how it probably will continue to.
Album then focuses more on the pressing issue of gun violence. “If he has to take the bullet with him, so be it.” The bullet follows Jones around, forever in his head, just like the bullets follow Detroit around. This connection ties this one particular story to a bigger picture.
Russell Eshleman “Even for Trees, Age Could Have Its Privileges” and “Domino’s Bites Back at Tax”
Most of his stories are short, but pack a punch by getting straight to the important facts. Eshleman’s work focus mainly on the government, which can be more effective (and less boring) to the reader if it is short and to the point.
Eshelman keeps things lively with a bit of humor. “It’s called the Historic Tree Act, and the sponsor is – as you may expect – Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf.” He put emphasis on the fact that he knows his audience and plays on the fact that the senator that is supporting an environmental bill has “green” in his last name, making a joke.
He also adds a bit of drama on the issue of pizza tax by pinning quotes against one another. Eshelman compares that the Revenue Department believes that it should be taxed the same as restaurant food because it is a luxury item, whereas an owner of a Domino chain does not believe that. This not only prevents both sides, but also adds humor.
Dan Neil “Caught Up in the Crossfire”
Neil’s rowdy lifestyle is reflected in his style of writing. As an automotive critic for the Los Angeles Times, he goes straight into his opinion with an honest voice. In his review of the Chrysler Crossfire he combines British slang and description to visualize it to the reader.
He focuses specifically on the beauty of the car, comparing it to Marilyn Monroe. Additionally, he uses pleasing phrases like “polished stakes,” “sculpted sufaces” and “precision-milled machinery” to describe the car in a positive way. He then goes on to mention a few of the flaws but not in a detrimental way.
Neil builds up his credibility by showing his knowledge of the history of the company. That knowledge coupled with his own personal opinion of the vehicle, makes him very agreeable and gives the reader the power to make an informed purchase.
Here are some additional examples of good local and beat reporting:
Dana Priest “CIA Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons”
Priest uncovered the secret prisons where the CIA was holding al Qaeda captives in Easter Europe in her article for the Washington Post in 2005. Like a good journalist, she questioned if what the CIA was doing was humane and brought the issue to light. This in-depth story came with a lot of research and a lot of connections. Most of the people that are quoted are not named and go by “CIA officer.” Despite these anonymous sources, Priest still had a detailed report that, although lengthy, included just the important information.
Diana K. Sugg “The Famous Dead Yield Only Murky Diagnoses”
The lives people with complex medical issues were told by Sugg for the Baltimore Sun in 2002. She speaks of the misdiagnosis of series issues of famous people that are now dead, like that Thomas Jefferson had a form of autism. Although these disabilities are seen as a positive thing because it promotes overcoming them and succeeding, Sugg proves this diagnosis wrong. She also points how that in a celebrity-driven society these figures become inspirations and a misdiagnosis would only hurt the reputation of someone that is not alive anymore.
Raquel Rutledge “Drug Dealers Use Child Care as Front”
In 2009 for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Rutledge drove into the crimes associated with local child-care centers. Using the money from tax payers, these centers provided fake employment criminals and stashed drugs. She uses multiple stories from different incidences to illustrate how series the problem was. This required multiple insights from the community, which is what a good local reporter does.
Courtney Campbell 