Beat Reporting Research Guide
Introduction:
News story ideas can be found everywhere; a posting on a board at the laundry mat, a flyer on your car’s windshield ... you get the idea. The scope of resources is endless, especially for a beat such as Art and Life. The large breadth of this beat means that every website in the universe could lead to a story idea that could be written to fit it. Therefore the websites and books listed below are just a few examples of places to look.
Arts and Life
Websites
Tourism Toronto
See Toronto like it’s your first time. Geared to visitors this website offers reporters a fresh perspective on their city. It has a very useful media centre that even offers story ideas.
Artists in Canadian
This website lists various artists throughout the country. It provides links to artists’ websites, allowing a reporter to view their portfolios and to obtain contact info.
Toronto Centre for the Arts
The Toronto Centre for the Arts is mainly a musical performance venue. The website is lacking in background information about the centre but it does provide event listings, photographs and contact numbers for its staff.
Art Gallery of Ontario
The Art Galley of Ontario is the main gallery in the province. The AGO, as it is known, has an established house collection but it also rotates new exhibits from all over the world. Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens as the Art Museum of Toronto, it is now the 10th largest art museum in North America.
Toronto.com
This commercial site has a detailed city guide to events and venues in the 416, 647 and 905 area codes. It features maps of how to get to all the events and establishments as well as photos and contact numbers.
Ticket Master Canada
This site has concert, theatre and family event listings from around the country.
Books
Intimate journalism : the art and craft of reporting everyday life / edited by Walt Harrington.
The art of fact : a historical anthology of literary journalism / edited by Kevin Kerrane and Ben Yagoda.
Beyond the facts : a guide to the art of feature writing / Louis Alexander.
Writing feature articles : a practical guide to methods and markets / Brendan Hennessy.
Professional feature writing / Bruce Garrison.
Write to be read : a practical guide to feature writing / Benton Rain Patterson.
Business
Websites
Business Journalism
This is the site for business reporters in America. It is produced by the American Press Institute. Featuring the following websites:
Bank of Canada
This site provides information on the Bank of Canada’s role. It also has the latest on bonds and securities, inflation and financial markets. Journalists will likely find the press release section most handy when looking for a story to cover. For those who don’t know much about the institution, online videos are available through the “About the Bank” link.
Canadian Economy Online
This websites is perfect for those who dislike numbers, and shrink away from mathematical concepts. It explains all there is to know about the national economy in plain English, while at the same time providing up to date information. Learn about the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), inflation rates and the federal debt.
The TSX is the centre of Canada’s commercial economy. This site is an indispensable resource for most business journalists. It allows reporters to keep an eye on the market throughout the day. It also has a special section called “media centre” that includes press releases and contact numbers.
Dow Jones
According to the Website, “The Dow Jones Global Indexes include more than 3000 separate indexes tracking stock prices of more than 5,000 companies in 36 countries, 10 world regions, 10 economic sectors containing 18 market sectors, and 40 industry groups.” Obviously, such a site is likely used by business reporters at large publications with international coverage.
Books
Bottom line writing : reporting the sense of dollars / Conrad C. Fink
Business and television / John Dekker
Confessions of a street addict / James J. Cramer
The fortune tellers : inside Wall Street’s game of money, media and manipulation / Howard Kurtz
Cops and Courts
Websites
Toronto Police Service
News releases, contact names, and background information about the Toronto Police is all available on this site. The site also provides links to Toronto Fire Services and Emergency Services websites.
Special Investigations Unit
The SIU is a civilian enforcement agency that investigates incidents involving police and citizens where someone is seriously injured or killed. This website offers lots of background on the organization, as well as media contacts and press releases.
Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario
Although this site provides information on the role of the attorney general and legal matters such as jury duty, child custody, among others, reporters will likely use it most for its listing of court addresses and phone numbers.
Ontario Courts
This website provides a listing of the names of Judges and Justices of the Peace in Ontario.
Police Contacts Regarding Fraud
Schemes, scams and frauds are unpleasant for the victims but intriguing to read about. This site offers contact information on special police units that look into all kinds of fraud.
Jurist Canada
A not-for-profit site compiled by academics and law students this website aims to provide a wide range of credible resources and coverage of developments in legal education, legal research, legal news and international law. Reporters can turn to this source for story ideas, for general current awareness or for background knowledge.
Books
Making news of police violence:
comparative study of Toronto and New York City / Jeffrey Ian Ross
Courts and the media / Stuart M. Robertson
Journalism, communication and the law / G. Stuart Adam, Ed.
The journalist’s legal guide / Michael G. Crawford
Media law / Robert Martin
Newspapers and the law / by Walter Tarnopolsky … (et al.)
Robertson’s newsroom legal crisis management: what to do when a crisis hits / by Stuart M. Robertson
Environment
See the environmental resources subject guide compiled by Dana Thomas.
Politics
Websites
Ontario e-laws Website
This site is especially handy for political reporters. The laws available on this site go back to Jan. 1, 2000. Information on this site is updated within two business days of a bills passage into law, or the amendment of a law by the Ontario Government. In a media environment where things need to be done yesterday this may not be as quick as reporters would like but it sure beats waiting months for the print format to be released as used to be the case before the Internet revolution. This site is very user-friendly; the homepage is set up like a table of contents in a book. It is minimalist in style and layout leaving lots of white space. Links such as “What’s included” and the “FAQ” provide further information about the site.
City of Toronto
Toronto is a big city with a lot going on, that’s why the detailed information in this site is valuable. Not only does this site provide dates, times and locations for council and committee meetings, it also has profiles of the councillors, lists major events in the city and more.
Canada’s Parliament
Focusing on the role of government at the federal level, this website provides background information on past and present politicians. It also lists bills before the house and has online copy of the hansard. Links will take you to senate website, a live web cast (where parliamentary debates can be viewed) and more.
Politics@JournalismNet
The politics section of the very detailed site developed by a CBC journalist has lots more information about Canadian Government. It includes links to all the political party websites (even those with no seats), polling firm contacts, etc.
Books
Spinwars : politics and new media / Bill Fox
Sustaining democracy? : Journalism and the politics of objectivity / Robert A. Hackett and Yuezhi Zhao
The pundits : power, politcs and the press / Lloyd Tataryn
Politics and the press / by George Gallup, Jr. and others. Edited by Richard W. Lee
Reviving the fourth estate : democracy, accountability and the media / Julianne Schultz
Democracy and the mass media : a collection of essays / edited by Judith Lichtenberg
Sports
Websites
CBC Sports Online
Canada ’s Broadcasting Corporation is a trusted and respected source of news in Canada.
This site is a clear example of why it holds that status.
Slam Sports
International sports news or the latest on local athletes is available here. However the busy flashing format of this website may make it unappealing for some.
TSN Canada
Easy to use and jam-packed with tidbits that could lead to story ideas, this site helps reporters, and the general public, keep abreast of the sports world.
Raptors
Find lots of info on Toronto’s NBA team at this official website. It also includes a schedule of games and media contacts.
Blue Jays
The official site for Toronto’s Baseball team is loaded with information but navigating it can be cumbersome.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Hockey information about Toronto’s local NHL team, available here, from press releases to bios on the players.
Books
How to cover, write, edit sports. Art by Al Papas; photography
Associated Press sports writing handbook / Steve Wilstein
Inside the sports pages : work routines, professional ideologies, and the manufacture of sports news / Mark Douglas Lowes
Modern sportswriting / (by) Louis I. Gelfand (and) Harry E. Heath, Jr.
Real sports reporting / edited by Abraham Aamidor
Sports illusion, sports reality : a reporter’s view of sports, journalism, and society / Leonard Koppett
Sports journalism at its best : Pulitzer Prize-winning articles, cartoons and photographs / Heinz-Dietrich Fischer
Sports style guide & reference manual : the complete reference for sports editors, writers and broadcasters / Jennifer Swan, editor
News Databases
International Publications. They may be accessed through Ryerson Library website under the Articles and Indexes tab on the homepage. Each of these databases is listed under the alphabetical listing of articles and indexes.
Canadian Newsstand
CBCA Complete
Factiva
Financialpost.infomart.ca
Globe and Mail
Globe and Mail: Canada's Heritage
from 1844
Proquest Newsstand
Toronto Star Pages of the Past
This guide was compiled by Nelia Raposo, a Ryerson Journalism graduate, and a graduate Librarian
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