With changing media landscapes and revenue models, there is an utter need for specialized journalists. Beat reporting has undeniable advantages. Those who have in-depth knowledge, networks, expertise, and familiarity with all the nuts and bolts around an issue, sector, organization, or institution over time not only deliver a better quality of the story but also exclusive ones. Some examples of beat could include gender, health, crime, social justice, politics, labor, agriculture, sports, fashion, or economy.
The course will focus on how to take deep dives into beats, understand the bureaucratic procedure, develop relevant, trustworthy sources, cultivate specialized reporting skills to deliver high-quality series of news stories. Through field trips, interaction with experts around specialized beats, the course will train how to come up with efficient, fast, and good reportage around issues.
neha.dixit@ashoka.edu.in