About

Beatblogging.org was an initiative of NewAssignment.Net. It looked at how journalists can use social networks and other Web tools to improve beat reporting, with an empahsis on “pushing the practice” and spotlighting innovation. NewAssignment.Net is a research project based at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and directed by professor Jay Rosen, who is on the faculty there and writes the press criticism blog, PressThink.

Beatblogging.org highlights innovative beat reporters who are on our nominees list. The best of the nominees make our weekly Leaderboard feature. What’s a beatblog? Here’s our definition.

We look at the latest tools and trends and how they can help reporters do a better job tracking their beat. We find real-world examples of social media helping journalists improve their beat reporting. Our podcast interviews feature journalists who are pushing the practice. We ask them what works and what doesn’t. We are constantly trying to determine what is the return on investment for putting time into social media.

Patrick Thornton is the editor and lead writer of BeatBlogging.Org.