beat reporter
A beat reporter focuses on reporting about a particular community and the issues facing that area and the individuals operating within it. Beat reporters may also focus on a particular subject matter like sports or community arts, developing connections within that industry and an understanding about how the industry operates. These reporters build trust with the people in the community, so people know they aren’t just going to report on a negative event or tragedy and leave. By staying in particular areas for coverage and reporting, these reporters developed sustained conversations, building trust and reliability among those in the community. It cultivates subject matter expertise as well by focusing on a particular project or area.
bias
Bias or biases involve pre-established viewpoints individuals have about certain topics, people or causes, which can influence their behaviors and reporting practices.
civic engagement
Civic engagement refers to people’s participation in topics of public and social concern, especially activities relating to political or nonprofit organizations that benefit the greater community or spur positive change within society. For example, this includes activities like volunteering (e.g. at community gardens or food pantries) and electoral participation.
editorialize
To editorialize refers to the activity of expressing one’s opinions or thoughts about a news topic, rather than reporting on the matter objectively. Oftentimes, news organizations designate sections on their platforms where reporters editorialize about modern issues and current events (e.g., sharing their opinions about general topics like gun violence or recent events like a recently passed legislation). This type of content may be labeled as “Opinion,” “Column,” “Editorial,” or a comparable designation. Columnists often work on editorialized content for legacy and traditional media outlets, providing a consistent voice for this type of content.
grassroots
A grassroots movement refers to a social, political, or economic initiative spurred by the people within a community. Rather than attempting to create change through legislation, people may individually participate in grassroots efforts. The often self-organized and localized movements act to mobilize individuals around a central cause, causing advocacy for causes like women’s rights.
Grassroots initiatives may involve making phone calls and distributing information via communication mediums like email to spread the word about the movement. People may hang posters or gather people to sign a petition. Essentially, individuals involved in grassroots movements attempt to organize people in their local communities toward the cause. A grassroots movement includes the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-60s where individuals were advocating for social change within their communities.
issue
An issue is a topic of journalistic coverage that guides the article writing conducted by reporters.
Reporters—or their editors—research the topics that are popular with the public and timely for coverage. Journalists may gain these insights by talking with people in the community or researching daily news events that they could write about.
If the journalist discovers an issue that they would like to cover, they may “pitch,” or present, it to their editor. If the editor approves their idea, they will be able to cover it. However, sometimes an editor will have a story that they will assign to a particular reporter. The indivduals who make these decisions about what topics to cover are called “gatekeepers” because they determine what information reaches audiences.
local journalism
Local journalism refers to local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations that cover day-to-day events in the area and thus, explain stories within the context of the community. Examples of local Pennsylvania newspapers include the Centre Daily Times, The Patriot-News, and The Gettysburg Times.
national news
National news refers to coverage that takes a broader perspective focusing on national-level events compared to local-level/community stories. These stories garner widespread interest and pertain to a larger portion of the community. While local news stories may cover issues like the community school board meeting or a high school baseball tournament, national stories typically relate to larger issues like national politics or immigration.
news avoidance
Selective news avoidance is the practice in which people selectively avoid the news on certain topics. Reasons for avoiding may be a result of feelings exhausted/worn out by the news, a lack of trust in the news, and/or a belief that the news is too negative or overabundant.
For more information, check out News Over Noise Episode 101.
paywalls
Some news and media organizations implement a paywall on their digital platforms (e.g., websites) restricting users’ access to content unless they pay for a subscription service. Many news organizations — like The New York Times —implemented paywalls into their economic models in the mid-2010s, amidst facing economic challenges with reduced advertising revenues.
Although paywalls help news organizations make money, there are some drawbacks. For instance, paywalls sometimes frustrate readers or diminish news equity as some citizens are unable to access the content. Although many news organizations put breaking news and important updates outside the paywall (e.g., available to readers without payment), some important public service news remains inaccessible to low-income audiences.
reporting
Reporting refers to the activity of gathering news (via interviews with sources, observations, and research). Journalists engaging in reporting in order to obtain facts and quotes about timely news.
solutions journalism
Solutions journalism or solution-based journalism refers to the reporting approach that extends beyond showcasing issues and problems in society. Rather, it uses evidence to explain what is working and what needs improved and worked upon further. Solutions journalism works to create an effective citizenry by engaging people in finding and initiating solutions to problems within a community. Compared to the regular approach used by most journalists, solutions journalism takes additional time because the reporter takes a deep dive into researching the topic and understanding the information. News organizations and editors need to support the concept of spending a lengthier amount of time working on fewer but more in-depth projects. Before beginning a solutions journalism project, journalists identify a problem that is not being addressed within the community and question how the situation could be improved. Many news organizations lack the resources to dedicate time and materials for long-term solutions journalism projects.
Similar to how other journalists approach their stories, solutions-based journalists establish the problem first. Then, they address the problem and what groups or individuals are successfully addressing the issues. These projects focus on the impact of the problems on people. It gives a clear and defined description of who is responsible and what can be done to address the issues.
Solutions-based journalism projects may focus on social issues like economic mobility and public health. For instance, a journalist may cover how a community garden works to solve local food system issues and how the method could be applied on a larger scale.