News reporting can be a difficult task, especially with all the preparation and responsibilities involved. With practice and focus, however, reporters can cover stories in a way that will give readers a clear and detailed picture of the news in question.
What to Bring for News Reporting
Many news stories are based on events, whether private or public, planned or unplanned. For solid event reporting, journalists should take a number of things along with them.
A writing instrument and paper, of course, are essential. Voice recorders are an excellent means for capturing quotes or recording notes, but should a technological problem occur, reporters will need some sort of backup for recording information. In addition, it can be time consuming to cycle through minutes of audio to find a five-second quote, making paper a good option for capturing sound bites and paraphrasing information.
Reporters should bring a folder dedicated to news reporting in which they can keep track of their notes, background information and other content, such as business cards, that they receive at the event. The better organized a journalist is, the quicker he or she can access information when needed.
A reporter may be tasked with taking pictures of the news event as well. The journalist should bring, unless requested otherwise, a digital camera that takes high-resolution photos (eight megapixels or higher should be sufficient). Both a fully charged battery and a memory card with plenty of space should be inside the device.
A press pass (if available) and photo identification are helpful things to bring as well.
Interviewing Tips for Event Coverage
Once the journalist has arrived on the scene, he or she has three main event reporting objectives: first, to get background information for the story; second, to obtain quotes from a variety of sources; and third, to compose a summary of the news event.
Background information can be procured from an official, director or anyone else with extensive knowledge of the event. They should be one of the first sources to whom a reporter goes for information. Once enough background detail is obtained, the reporter can focus on other tasks.
When interviewing, the reporter should first procure the source’s full name, position, a number or e-mail for later contact, and anything else the editor has requested. When interviewing multiple sources, the reporter should write the initials of the source next to the quote (so as not to misattribute a statement). Quotes written down should match the original statement exactly; if one is not sure of the exact wording of a sentence, he or she can paraphrase the content.
It is a good custom to thank interview sources, as they have provided the reporter with essential information and opinions from which stories are born.
Photography Tips for Event Reporting
The reporter should keep an alert eye for photo opportunities. Interview sources, if possible, should be photographed; the reporter should write down the photo identifier (e.g. DSCN2531) next to the source’s name so as not to confuse pictures and interviewees. For every photo taken, the journalist should write down the photo’s caption (e.g. Firefighters responded to the 911 call with four engines) with the photo number, thus making the writing process easier.
If, for any reason, the reporter is not able to shoot photos for the story, he or she should ask someone knowledgeable for a source of images, online or otherwise, that the news organization could use.
Practice and Dedication
Every reporter will make mistakes, minor or otherwise, at some point in the reporting process. Nevertheless, after enough practice, reporters will have little trouble getting the central details on a news development.
Related Reading
The following articles on writing can help reporters begin their news stories. They pertain more to fiction writing, but can be useful to journalists nevertheless.
How to Write a Good Rough Draft
How to Reduce Stress Over Writing
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