The News Lab's Beat Reporting Badge

Issued by Penn State - Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

The News Lab hosted a series of workshops aimed at preparing early career reporters for beat development and source relationship building in February 2024. Workshops included "Introduction to Beat Reporting" with News Lab director Maggie Messitt , "Transitioning from General Assignment" with Spotlight PA journalist Min Xian , and "Advanced Beat Development" with Spotlight PA journalist Wyatt Massey. To earn this badge, participants developed their own beat file.

Type Learning
Level Intermediate
Time Weeks

Skills

Earning Criteria

To earn this badge, students attended 6-hours of beat and source development workshops over the span of three weeks and then produced a beat file of their own. Files examine a beat they currently cover in student media or look toward covering in an internship or job. They include clear definitions and scope of their beat, important access points and front liners, institutions, experts, data (and the keepers of that data), cultural brokers, public records, tools, colleagues, and more