Reporting Beats

A reporting beat is an area of coverage that a reporter is responsible for following throughout the year. A beat may be a school program, organization, team, activity, or a broader area such as Campus & District news. At the beginning of the year, each BVP student will select the beats they are most interested in covering. After those selections are made, any remaining beats will be distributed so that every area has at least one reporter. Once assigned, you are responsible for learning your beat, building relationships with your contacts, checking for updates, and finding possible stories—not waiting for someone to bring a story to you.

Each item listed below is an individual reporting beat. For most beats, the name following the dash identifies the teacher, sponsor, coach, or coordinator who should be your first contact. Select a linked beat to open its complete reporting guide, where you can learn what the beat covers, who to contact, what kinds of stories to watch for, what questions to ask, whom to interview, and what information, photographs, and video you may need to collect.

Click the school map below to open a larger view of Bellville High School (or click HERE to download a pdf copy) and locate classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, and other places you may need to visit while reporting. You can use this page from your phone whenever you need help finding a contact or deciding what to do next.