How do you define
your beat? What does it encompass?
Who will your readers
be? Who will be watching for your stories?
If you're starting
from scratch, what will you do the first week on the beat?
What other reporters/editors
have worked this beat you can tap into now?
How can your team
be of assistance?
What can news research
do to help you discover and develop your beat? (reading materials, websites,
experts)
Who are the official
sources for your beat?
Where will you go
to find them?
Who will you need
to call? How often?
Who are the unofficial
sources for your beat?
Where will you go
to find them?
Who will you need
to call? How often?
How does your beat
overlap with other beats and writers?
How will you structure
time to stay connected and in sync?
What can you do
to develop your beat online?
How can you push
your beat (old or new), your reporting and writing to keep it fresh,
more accessible and relevant?
What percentage
of your job will be:
Covering breaking
news?
Breaking your own
news?
Investigative reporting?
Storytelling?
Context, issues,
trends?
Brites and quick
hits?
What are five stories
you want to do in the first month?
What does success
look like in six months?
What's one project
you'd like to do in the next year?