BEAT REPORTING: EDUCATION BEAT

 

Paper: Reporting & Editing for Print

Unit 1 

Disclaimer: The note/s given below is/ are a compilation of information taken from various sources. The references to the sources are provided at the end. The views expressed in the note/s are those of the concerned student/s/ intern/s. The blogger or the compiler will not be responsible in any manner whatsoever regarding the authenticity of the information provided in the note/s.

These notes are being compiled to help the students for educational purposes during Covid-19 pandemic.

 
What is a Journalist’s Beat?
●          Beat journalism is thematically dividing journalists based on specific subjects and topics that they cover.
●          Beat reporting, also known as specialised reporting, is a genre of journalism focused on a particular issue, sector, organisation, or institution over time.
●          Beat reporting refers to thematic specialization and routines (places to go, people to see) in journalism. The term reflects the distinction between general assignment reporters and specialized (beat) reporters covering a specific area (beat) as well as the subject-matter or geographic divisions between areas of reporting by which media organizations seek to structure the social environment they cover.
●          Beat journalism was originally created to make the journalism industry more efficient and effective.
●          Beat reporting marks the beginning of modern journalism.
●          It was invented at the end of the 19th century in the United States with the aim to increase the efficiency of journalistic work.
●          A beat is simply a specific subject or topic that journalists specialize in and focus their articles on.
●          The news beat system has been developed to achieve two goals:
➔        The first is to ensure that the newspaper does not miss any major news story pertaining to that beat.
➔        The second is to give focus and direction to the news generation activity.
 
The Big Three:
 
A city newspaper that focuses exclusively on local stories will assign its best reporters to the following three beats:
●          Crime
●          Civic Affairs
●          Court
These beats are called the “Big Three” beats in most newsrooms as they generate the highest number of stories.
 
Specialised Beats:
 
The next level of beats is specialised beats.There are numerous types of Beats in Journalism. However some fields are particularly more popular than the rest.These include the following -
 
●          Political Reporting
●          Education Reporting
●          Health Reporting
●          Sports Reporting
●          Entertainment Reporting
●          Infrastructure Reporting
●          Food Reporting
●          Investigate Reporting
●          Lifestyle Reporting
●          Business Reporting
 
Advantages of Beat Reporting:
❏        It saves resources since beat reporters are very experienced on their beat and know well where and how to get exactly the information they need.
❏        Due to their long-term relationship of trust with relevant sources, beat reporters obtain exclusive, trustworthy, and newsworthy information.
❏        Beat reporting also breeds expertise in subject areas. You can trust that beat reporters have experience in writing about specific beats.
❏        As for the media outlets, beat reporting breeds efficiency and organization. Outlets can ensure that they have specialized journalists covering each of their topics.
❏        They can also cut down on resources needed to find sources when journalists have already established those relationships for themselves.
 
Drawbacks of Beat Reporting:
 
➢        Along with this specialization, however, there are several challenges; for example, the diversity of views represented in a beat might be limited, which can also affect the diversity of news coverage.
➢        If beat reporters become too loyal toward their sources, they can be instrumentalized.
➢        Being too adversarial toward their sources might entail a loss of trust and an increasing cynicism of the audience.
➢        If beat reporters start feeling like advocates of their own interests, they might behave as activists rather than detached observers.
➢        The journalists themselves may also seek a change within their career after covering a specific topic for a long period of time. It is not uncommon to see, beat journalists covering other topics to keep their opinions fresh.
Education Beat
 
Introduction:
●          Education defines the lives of the people living in a community. Education is not limited to the classroom, as it takes place anywhere and everywhere.
●          Holding such a crucial part in the lives of the people, education is one of the most important news beats in journalism.
●          The education sector is fast evolving with new innovations and technologies. With the recent happenings in the world, the education beat is there to inform the audience of the recent happenings in the education system so as to adjust or take precautions.
●          Reporters covering education need to understand the structure, staffing and economics of the school systems they cover, which may vary widely.
●          They should be prepared to decipher statistics and to compare budgets over time to see where the money goes and what happens as a result.
●          Covering education also means tracking statistical data such as dropout and graduation rates, teacher retention and vacancy rates, principal turnover and the results of high-stakes testing.
 
Areas covered under Education Beat:
Following are the areas which are covered in education beat-
❖        •     School board and PTA meetings
❖        •     Voices of schoolchildren, parents, college students etc.
❖        •     Structure, staffing and economics of the school systems and other educational institutions
❖        •     tracking statistical data such as dropout and graduation rates
❖        •     teacher retention and vacancy rates
❖        •     principal turnover and the results of high-stakes testing
❖        •     policy issues like the certification process for teachers or efforts to end social promotion
❖        •     Ranking schools’ performance considering demographics like race, income or parents’ education.
❖        •     Reporting on cutoffs of the colleges
❖        •     Technologies used in the educational sector
❖        •     Funds allocated the sector
❖        •     Public and private schooling and what is happening in universities and colleges regarding academic activities and developments
❖        •     co-curricular activities, unions are highlighted in the news stories
❖        •      literacy rate and programmes to increase literacy rate
❖        •     adult education
❖        •      Trends in classrooms teaching and dozens of other significant problems can also be reported.
 
Skills required for Education Beat Reporters:
●          Some of the necessary skills for education reporting have remained consistent across decades, even generations.
●          Education journalists have always needed to know how to evaluate schools based on both qualitative and quantitative measures, how to interview children effectively, and how to analyse a budget.
●          Other skills have emerged and expanded in recent years.These are -
●          Size up school-
Reporters need to be able to assess the quality and nature of a school quickly.They must pay attention to whether students are engaged in work, teachers are professional and prepared, and administrators have a motivating and organising effect on the school.
●          Analyze budgets and constraints-
At every level of education — school, district, university, state or federal — education journalists must be able to read and decipher budgets, spotting trends, gaps, or aberrations in the intake and outflow of money for schools.
●          Interviewing children-
Education reporters must learn how to interview students effectively as well as with sensitivity.
●          Use technology and social media-
Education journalists need to be comfortable telling their stories using multiple platforms. They should also be able to generate story ideas and engage with readers via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
●          Understand political dynamics-
Education reporters need to be skillful in detecting when school politics are in play at the local, state, and federal levels. School board members, teachers’ unions, and administrators all engage in political tugs for control or power. Governors, lawmakers, and mayors sometimes promote specific education policies or changes with broader political goals or ambitions in sight.
●          Know open meetings and public record laws-
Education journalists should familiarise themselves with relevant open meetings laws so they will know if — and when — a school board, charter school board, or state board of education might be in violation. They should also know which types of documents and records are available to the public and which ones are not. And they must know how, and when, to file an open records request.
●          Use spreadsheets and database programs
Education journalists must possess at least basic proficiency with spreadsheet and database programs, because school and college data increasingly are available only in spreadsheet form. Reporters will also find that knowledge of these programs enhances their ability to sort, summarise, and analyse education-related data of all types, including test scores.
●          Report and interview on a broad range of subjects-
Most education reporters will find they have to cover a broad range of stories, including politics, business, breaking news, and human interest. They will have to cultivate a wide variety of sources.
 
Ethics of Education Beat Reporting:
 
Journalists on all beats routinely face important ethical questions. The following guidelines aim to provide the journalist an idea of how he or she should go about reporting on children, families and education.
❖        Be explicit on the front end:
When visiting classrooms and schools, education reporters should try to ensure — whenever practically possible — that employees and students know who they are and the purpose of the visit.
❖        Be permissive on the back end:
While reporting on young people, journalists and media organisations should be more flexible when it comes to such issues as unnamed sources and the retraction of controversial quotes.
❖        Never accept work you would not feel comfortable disclosing publicly:
An education journalist might consider doing freelance work for a local foundation uninvolved in school-related causes. But if the foundation advocates on education issues, then the assignment would likely pose a conflict.
❖        Weigh carefully the public’s need to know against an individual’s right to privacy:
After learning as much about the context as possible, reporters should ask whether there is a broad public interest in exposing the information.
❖        Don’t condescend, but err on the side of assuming naivety:
Education journalists should assume minors are not familiar with concepts such as on and off-the-record, and do not fully grasp the implications of media exposure. They should explain to children that articles or videos about them can live indefinitely on the Web, reaching readers and viewers they might not have anticipated, including relatives, friends, and strangers.
❖        First, do no harm:
Journalists should be careful not to add to a child’s trauma or pain when reporting highly sensitive or controversial stories.
❖        Verify online information:
Education journalists should make sure they do not get sloppy — by copying and pasting information from online sites, or repeating unverified statements made by students online.
 
Sources of Education Beat-:
 
➢        School Magazine
➢        NCERT resource centre
➢        HRD Ministry
➢        National education associations
➢        Government schools
➢        Students
➢        Teachers
➢        University grants commission
➢        Parents
➢        Education writers’ association
➢        Research paper
➢        Education department
➢        Autonomous college and institution
 
Example of an Education Beat News Story:
Impact story: IIT Graduates are teaching Class 9 and 10 students.
By: Education Beats - Story of Education of India
Imagine you’re studying at home and you have got a doubt. You post the doubt on an online group and get a solution from IIT graduates within two minutes. How does this sound? Isn’t it a great idea? Worry no more, because this idea has turned into reality.
 
IIT graduates are teaching the students of Class 9 and 10 on Eckovation learning groups, ensuring 90+ percentage in CBSE boards. This will not only help you get an edge over other students but to also get right on the path of your preparation for competitive exams like JEE and NEET.
 
You can get the advantage of mentorship and doubt discussions with IIT graduates by enrolling in the groups of Class 9 and Class 10.
 
For the first time ever, CBSE students from all across the nation are studying from the interactive video lectures under the mentorship of IIT Educators at no cost.
 
CONCLUSION:
The horizon of education reporting is very wide and extremely crucial for any society. Therefore, it forms a very essential part of Journalism. Many education reporters are drawn to the beat because of its complexity and rich variety.
In a beat that is so wide-ranging and evolving, reporters will inevitably differ in interests and approach. Some will become spreadsheet experts who can analyze test scores and budgets with an ease other dream of. Others will immerse themselves in classrooms and specialize in telling the frontline stories of educators and children. And some will closely track the political landscape, reporting in depth on policy debates and changes at the national, state, or local level.
The education reporter is normally expected to cover activities at all levels of the research and schooling system from policy making to the teachers in the classrooms.
The education system, its merits and demerits are the main sphere of education reporting.The education beat offers the opportunity for many routine stories as well as major news breaks, features and interpretative pieces.
 
 
Compiled and Presented By:
Tanya Pratap
Class Representative B.A.(Hons.) Journalism Batch ‘23
Lady Shri Ram College for Women
 
Group Members:
Tenzin Woeden
Yashna Dhuria
Kriti Kumar
Sakshi Suman