Advice for a young police beat reporter
By Doug Fisher
A former student got her first reporting job recently, and so she e-mailed
with pride and trepidation: "Doug, it was the one beat that
I never wanted to cover ... I wanted to be an education reporter.
Well, behold, I am a cops reporter who works evenings."
Ah, the journalism gods have struck again.
She wanted advice. Maybe she remembered my war stories.
I've worked a lot of beats, but I always loved public safety
for the pure storytelling possibilities. So this month
I thought I'd share a little of what I told her:
First, remember that any reporter worth his or her salt
has worked the police beat and learned to work it well.
The skills you will learn will serve you from the garden club to the halls
of Congress.
No matter how numbing and mindless things can seem, don't
ever forget the people – those you write for and those you will
deal with. Don't treat them like dirt, no matter how detestable they may
seem. They may become one of your best sources someday – the rest
of the world tends to look past them, so they see things others don't.
Remember that police have hopes and dreams and fears and
families. Get to know them. Ask them about those. Be something
other than a one-dimensional journalist.
Don't ever burn bridges. Word spreads fast among journalists,
but it's hypersonic among cops. You are being sized up – can we
trust her, what are her biases, will she be fair? Cops want fair. They're
not Pollyannas; they understand agendas and sacred cows and bias more
than most. Take some of their good-natured ribbing and occasionally give
it back. They want to see if you can give as good as you take.
But remember, you are not one of them. They are trained
to spot a phony in a second like a $3 bill. Play it straight.
Make very sure they – especially the beat cops, sergeants and rank-and-file
detectives (who will save your bacon at least once) – are always
clear on what basis you are speaking. That keeps them from slipping, and
they'll show their appreciation (just one whispered tip at a murder scene
will pay you back in spades).
Expose problems. But don't attack. Keep it fair and even-handed.
Some of my best sources were people I reported on but who
later said, "You
were fair, so let me tell you about this ..."
Look for the great tell, the people story, even in what
seems like the most inconsequential brief. Don't just grind
them out.
Walk to where you are going. Get the cop's-eye view of
things.
Learn how train crashes work. And plane crashes. And what
kind of crappy paperwork a cop has to file. Get a blank
copy of each form so you can refer to it. Some of what goes in all those
boxes is really good stuff we too often overlook.
Understand that the death and destruction and the just
plain ugly way people treat each other, especially children,
will get to you. Don't ever lose that sensitivity. Take a break now and
then.
But also remember to ask to look at the crime scene photos.
Learn how to read and manipulate spreadsheets. Some of
the best stories are in the numbers. Learning mapping software
is good, too. Become a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors and
pay attention to what others are doing with public safety information.
Have a "go bag" with notepads and pencils in plastic bags, work
boots, two days of bottled water, some granola bars, a hard hat. A local
map sealed in a plastic bag. Ten bucks in change and a $10 prepaid phone
card. A poncho. One of those miracle thermal blankets, work gloves and
anything else you think you might need. But keep it light.
Never assert publicly that you have a "right" to be anywhere.
You have the Constitution; they have a gun and handcuffs. But don't back
down, either. Just fight like a tiger privately, remembering that you
can win the battle but lose the war. So pick your fights.
And, most of all, have a heck of a time.
