3 Essential Qualities White House Beat Reporters Need
Beat reporting is a dedicated field of journalism that is associated with a specific sector. In this case, the White House Beat is the political side of journalism reporting on the events within Washington DC. Beat reporters for the White House are given specialised access to a room within the Executive Mansion to capture the news and political updates as they happen. These reporters have not been given this kind of access for nothing. They have earned this privilege by possessing the following three essential qualities.
1. Courage
Some journalists that cover hard-hitting news and events are placed in dangerous situations. They actively go out amid crazy situations to bring first-hand accounts of what is happening in the world. It takes guts and stamina to do this, and beat reporters need to have this quality if they want to succeed.
Getting information out of any politician is an art form that takes courage – courage to approach important people and ask them difficult questions. Beat reporting for the White House often means trying to interview caterers or cleaning services. Actively speaking with anyone that has had contact with the official they are covering is the only way some beat journalists can get any useful information.
2. Relationship Building
Covering the events of any beat is tough. It takes dedication and not just any journalist is privy to certain information. For the White House, this has historically been extremely difficult. The reporters had to work very hard to build relationships with the correspondents of the White House.
Even today, it takes time and effort to interact with the relevant people to gain access to important information. White House beat journalists may wait for hours on end before they get even a snippet of anything pertinent. Many of them can probably be found playing casinos online and other mobile games, because the process can be very tedious sometimes. It gives them something to do while they wait.
3. Determination
In the media, if a journalist blinks, they miss a great story. It’s exactly the same for the White House beat. Politics moves with force and events happen very quickly. Beat reporters have to be on their toes all the time, keeping an ear and eye open every second. It takes persistence and never giving up until they have what they need. Beat journalists for the White House also have thick skin. They have to go back to the same sources over and over. And in many cases, the journalist has written something that the source disagrees with. It can make it harder for journalists to gain relevant information in the future, but they remain determined.
Beat reporting for any sector takes particular skills and qualities to provide citizens with the right information. White House beat reporters do not let up. They go back again and again until they have something valuable to write about. It takes an individual that is well organized, and someone who will constantly go all-out to get to the important information that the public needs to know about.