Deck 11: Working a Beat

Question 1

A journalist's beat is an area of news coverage that involves a set of regular checks with key, relevant sources.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

One criticism of crime reporting is that it fails to reflect a community accurately because it doesn't take into account the big picture: Crime stories may imply that crime is increasing when in fact it's on the decline.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Beginning journalists can fall into one of two traps: They immediately approach sources as adversaries, or they are overly friendly with sources. Neither is the best way to interact with the people from whom you gather information.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The major components of covering business in small- or medium-sized communities are attending Rotary Club meetings, getting to know the Chamber of Commerce and writing stories about new businesses.

Question 5

Which of the following are responsibilities connected with a journalist's beat?

A) A journalist is expected to serve as watchdog, making sure that those who are responsible to the public are fulfilling their responsibilities.
B) A journalist is expected to report newsworthy events in a timely manner.
C) A journalist is expected to learn the issues and trends for that beat, and keep on up with the related field in general.
D) All of the above

Question 6

Which of the following best defines enterprise reporting?

A) This is business reporting that emphasizes entrepreneurs. This type of reporting has been emphasized in the wake of the success of Silicon Valley and other tech entrepreneurs.
B) This is another term for mojos, the mobile journalists who combine reporting, photojournalism, editing, and dissemination of information through the social media.
C) This means finding a story through talking with various people or investigating, rather than through attending regular meetings or checking blotters or press releases.
D) All of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is a good way to go about learning the police beat?

A) Visit all the police stations and sheriff's offices, introduce yourself to as many people as possible and ask for a tour.
B) Ask for a copy of standard operating procedures and study it. Ask a police officer to tell you about local arrest procedures.
C) Cultivate sources other than public officials-talk with probation officers, social workers, and representatives of victims' associations.
D) All of the above

Question 8

Which of the following best defines a journalist's tickler file?

A) This is a file of personal career goals the journalist should keep checking in order to make timely progress toward promotions and raises.
B) This is a file of issues to keep checking on, such as an upcoming hearing on a court case, a follow-up report, or a meeting that deals with an issue the journalist has been covering.
C) This is a file where a journalist keeps humorous quotes and cartoons.
D) None of the above

Question 9

What is a beat? Please a.) define the term, and b.) provide an example to illustrate.

Question 10

Establishing and maintaining professional relationships with sources on a beat you cover can bring up issues of conflict of interest, or just the appearance of a conflict of interest. Please describe one way this might happen, using a specific example to illustrate.

Question 11

Suggest a new beat for your campus, describe it, and provide your justification for it.

Question 12

You have been assigned the education beat at your school. Describe the first five steps you'd take and why.

Question 13

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-A logical fallacy is a computer term referring to data entry errors that lead to problems in a computer's logic board-problems that may affect a journalist's ability to do accurate reporting.

Question 14

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-A false generalization means jumping to a conclusion based on insufficient evidence.

Question 15

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-Anecdotal evidence is evidence made up of individual stories, events or observations that don't justify a broad conclusion.

Question 16

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-A straw man is an argument in which someone presents a weaker version of her opponent's argument, dismisses it, then claims to have won her argument.

Question 17

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-Which of the following defines a false dilemma best:

A) It's an argument that does not present a dilemma at all.
B) It's an argument in which the speaker implies there's a choice between only two possibilities when there are actually other possibilities.
C) It's an argument that presents a dilemma that cannot be resolved.
D) None of the above

Question 18

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions
-What does it mean when we say that journalists are skeptical?

Question 19

Habits 5 quiz-exam questions

-After reading through the following scenario, please
a.) identify any logical fallacies you see and
b.) describe why they are logical fallacies.
Scenario: It's election time, and you get an advance copy of tomorrow's speech from one of the candidates for mayor, John Doe. The following is an excerpt.
…I talked with a woman the other day, Saundra H. She told me a story that concerned me greatly. She said she was driving down the street, passing through an intersection-she had the green light-when a bicyclist ran the red light that he had, shot right in front of her-Saundra said she almost hit him, could have killed him. This is another example of bicyclists being lawbreakers. As mayor, I'd push city council to enact new ordinances to clamp down on these outlaws. Ordinances will work, just like the ones city council passed about dog owners picking up their pets' poop worked….
But speaking of rules and regulations, we can't get carried away. Too many of those, and we'll soon be living in a socialist society. And we don't want that! If it's between socialism and what the United States has always enjoyed-the free-enterprise dream of unlimited potential and prosperity-well, that's our history, our creed-and if it was good enough for our forefathers and mothers, it should be good enough for us…