The media related jobs and careers have always attracted the young and the vibrant.
You will find many different options in media jobs and the youngsters are always willing to experiment with unique opportunities.
There are many youngsters who aspire to become TV anchor someday and really lack the direction or motivation to achieve their goal.
This article will tell you how to be a news anchor and qualities of a good anchor.
Various Names by Which the Designations are Addressed:
This is truly vital if you want others to take you seriously in the job. You must know the different ways in which a TV anchor may be addressed.
They may refer to you as a TV reporter, TV anchor, newscaster or a news analyst and you should be quick enough to understand that you are being called.
Your quickness of response reveals that you belong to this trade.
How to Become a TV Reporter?
The job of a TV anchor may appear truly impressive and challenging.
Many youngsters apply for the post keeping these ideas in mind. They barely know the facts regarding the career.
Very few of those who apply know the qualifications or skills required to work as a TV anchor.
Qualifications:
Do you know what degree you need to be a news anchor?
You need to have a bachelor’s degree relevant to the field if you aspire to work as a TV anchor.
Most companies look for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism.
There could be companies that consider individuals with a Bachelor Degree in English Literature or Mass Communication. If you have these degrees, you won’t find it really difficult to make it to the interviews.
Tasks you need to handle:
You need to be aware of the tasks you are expected to handle if you become a TV anchor or a TV reporter.
Understanding the tasks properly will help you make the right decision regarding your career.
Very often individuals fail to survive in the position because they have wrong expectations from their job. Here we have listed a few of the common tasks that a TV anchor is expected to handle.
Analyse the Growth Prospects in this Field:
Every individual in search of a job is looking for an opportunity that will help him grow and progress.
You need to analyze the possibilities of growth if you join as a news reporter. The growth analysis should assess monetary as well as status growth.
Promotion Possibilities:
If you are planning to be a news caster or an anchor, you need to be aware of the possibilities of growth and promotion.
You need to know what are the higher positions occupied by news anchors. This knowledge will help you plan your career accordingly.
Other Growth Avenues:
Check out the job market and identify what other roles you may fit in. You need to understand what job roles you fit.
If you really wish to grow, you must gain experience in these diverse fields. It will take your profile to the next level.
Qualities Required to Excel as a TV Anchor:
It is no cakewalk to be a TV anchor and you must understand the role properly to do justice to it.
Here we have listed out a few of the prominent qualities of a TV anchor that you must possess if you wish to survive in the field. Continuously work to sharpen these qualities in you.
1. Take interest in world happenings:
A news anchor has to present the world happenings in the most interesting manner so that the viewers watch with awe.
You need to be aware of the latest happenings in the world and also the reaction of different people towards different happenings.
If you take interest in the world happenings, you realize that every event that takes place is a result of some other happening.
You need to be aware of how different events impact individuals and how they are affected by world events.
2. Improve speaking skills:
An anchor is truly nothing without his speaking skills. A TV news anchor should understand the mood of the news he is presenting and should be able to alter his speaking style to suit his vast audience and their needs.
You need to make sure that your voice is audible and all the words are clearly pronounced. These factors count a lot if you wish to continue as a news anchor.
3. Improve your stamina:
News anchors may have to work endlessly during certain calamities or events of national significance. You should make sure you have the stamina to work endlessly without a break.
The stamina here implies physical as well as mental stamina. You should be capable of doing the same work for many hours and this usually affects individuals emotionally more than physically.
People cannot endure the same work environment for many hours. They get stressed and lose their ability to perform on field. Make sure you are mentally prepared to work endlessly.
4. Sculpt your looks to suit the camera:
You need to have a camera friendly face and physique to work in front of the camera continuously.
You may choose to regulate your diet so that you do not gain those extra calories that bulge from here and there.
You may choose to have fresh veggies and fruits that help you gain strength and vitality. You may also join a gymnasium to make sure you burn the fat your have gained. This will help you keep your body well sculpted for onscreen presence.
5. Work on your dressing sense:
A TV anchor must have a personality and should throw a certain kind of attitude. You need to maintain the impression people have about your profession and you.
You can do this only by taking extra care to dress properly. Select your outfits so that it reflects the same person that you reflect while anchoring on news channels.
You may pick suiting from a few of the popular brands. They will make sure that you look perfect when you make your presence on screen.
6. Be prepared to deal with last minute changes:
News anchors and TV reporters have a very dynamic kind of job. They can never be sure that they will be presenting exactly what they were prepared for.
There could be last minute changes in the plan and you need to be malleable to get cast into the new role instantly.
A lack of preparation to handle the unexpected could actually ruin your image as a well-known TV anchor or reporter.
The greatest ability would be to never let your audience realize that something is amiss. You should gracefully present the news even in the last minute changes.
7. Improve your language skills:
Language is your greatest stronghold and your key to success when you are working as a news anchor or a news presenter.
You need to make sure that your language is truly strong. Language involves many different aspects and we have listed these out here.
You need to make sure that you have perfected each of these aspects before you try and become a TV anchor.
Pronunciation:
As you are a new presenter, the world will observe you and your speaking skills. If you accidentally pronounce a word in a wrong fashion, there will be critics to ruin your career.
If you do not wish to make a mockery of your image, make sure you pronounce all the words correctly.
Eke out some time off your daily routine simply to learn the right pronunciation. You cannot succeed in this career without improving your speaking skills.
Vocabulary:
A good grasp over language also means that you should have a good vocabulary. You need to know different words that mean the same and diverse ways to make use of the same word.
A good knowledge of idioms and phrases is an added plus. You may try and solve crosswords to improve your word power.
There are new words being invented and accepted each day so make it a habit to learn at least five new words each day.
Accent:
If you are able to speak in different accents, it will enhance your career profile and help you find more opportunities.
The accent you will be using will depend on the channel’s loyalties and the nation for which it is working.
Very few people manage to capture different accents. If you are one of those, you have a lot of opportunities to prosper in this field.
To Wrap Up:
It is not easy to be a news anchor or a news reporter. You need to put in tremendous effort to hone your skills and abilities. It is a good idea to have a role model whom you follow. When you have an example ahead of you, the road gets a lot easier.
