Covering crime beat

Covering crime beat

If journalism is about telling stories, then the crime beat should be the best in the business because it offers great narratives. Almost every news event on the beat features heroes and villains, scoundrels and victims.

Every news organization covers crime. It’s a staple of daily reporting. But not every news organization covers crime as a beat. Too often, crime stories are just accounts of incidents as they occur, with little context or depth. To cover crime well, reporters need to look for patterns and trends as well as for the impact of crime on individuals and communities.

That means spending time on the crime beat, hanging out at police stations, firehouses, and with emergency medical technicians, getting to know their problems and procedures. To begin learning your way around the beat, consider arranging for a ride-along or asking a homicide detective to walk you through an unsolved case.

Crime reporters also dig for data they can use to develop stories and supplement their coverage online. To cover courts, reporters must understand the judicial process from beginning to end. They should know what happens when a suspect is arrested, charged, arraigned, makes bail, is tried and sentenced or released. Experienced reporters say the best way to learn the process is to spend time at the courthouse. Begin with the court clerks, who keep track of the docket (the list of cases) and the calendar. Find out how to get copies of the court record, filings and testimony.