Digital Photos: Tools of the Social Media Beat

Smartphones are the true lifeline for any beat reporter. All emails, tweets and Facebook post can easily be accessible as well as important contact lists that can be vital when trying to get more information on a story. The camera and video recording features make providing visual support to any story an easy task.

Smartphones are great for covering social media on the go, but with a laptop a beat reporter has more easily accessible tools. Sites such as Twitter, are constanly flowing with potential information that may be of relevance for a reporter covering a sports beat. The larger laptop screen gives the reporter’s eye a better chance to view and receive information.

(Battery Life) The affordances of technology are almost limitless when it comes to news reporting. However, one element of reporting that’s not limitless is the battery life of reporter’s devices. Laptops and smarthphones are useless if the battery is dead. It’s important to have chargers for both household outlets and automobiles so reporters can recharge their devices whether they are stationary or on the go.

Television news stations such as ESPN, can break news at any moment. Having a televsion veiwable at all times allows beat reporters to tweet any relevant sports news out to their followers the instant it scrolls across the screen.

(Social Media Overload?) When you combine a television, computer, smartphone and a radio you have every possible medium a message can travel. Monitoring all these devices can become a little redundant, but all messages have to originate from somewhere. Tuning into these broadcasting platforms lowers the chance of missing an important piece of information that can be news worthy to your beat.