How to Be a Professional Newscaster

The field of broadcast news is highly competitive and the life of a professional newscaster is not as glamorous or high-paying as some might think. Those who desire a career in this field must be persistent and possess certain unique qualities and have a true passion for the news. Newscasters usually begin as beat reporters, and work their way up to on-air newscasters.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Go to school to become a professional newscaster. Most stations hire individuals with not only practical experience, but want you to have an education. College is the place to get the foundation you need and where most news people get their first taste of hands-on experience.

2. Pick a school with a good communications program. Majors to consider include Journalism, Broadcasting, Radio-Television and Communications. Research schools to determine their strengths and reputations.

3. Consider a Master's program to set yourself apart. Graduate programs offer real hands-on production opportunities. You may also get to produce a resume tape, which stations want you to have.

4. Volunteer at the local TV station, or get involved on the campus station if you're a student. The size of these operations may require you to get involved at all the different levels, which is what you need to advance in this field.

5. Find a mentor or pattern your style after a newscaster you admire. Watch local, network and cable news shows. Observe and practice the techniques of the newscasters you see.

6. Realize that you will be judged on your appearance and mannerisms. You must be well-groomed, dress fashionably, but not too trendy. Look and act like someone that people can trust and knows what they're doing. Work on developing a "neutral" voice, free from any accent.

7. Prepare for the environment and the life of a professional newscaster. The news business is 24 hours a day and you'll work long and irregular hours, including nights and weekends. Plus, you'll be under a deadline. Stay up on current events. Read The Washington Post, The New York Times and even the Wall Street Journal. Newscasters mainly read from a teleprompter. You need to train your eyes to follow words.

8. Have ideas for stories. Understand that you won't be on the air immediately. You'll probably start in research and use that to prove yourself to be a reporter, and then one day, if you're lucky, you'll be a newscaster.

9. Search for entry-level positions at small stations. Most of the positions in TV broadcast news come from turn-over. If you prefer the network, the same advice applies. Remember that with network jobs, even entry-level positions are hard to come by. One estimate is that for every position open, they have at least 60 to 100 resumes.

Tips & Warnings

• Get an internship with a local television station, a great way to get the experience you need. Know that it may not be a paid internship, but you will get valuable experience in the news business. Get your teachers to help you find an internship.

Resources

• National Association of Broadcaster's website, has details on careers and education for aspiring broadcasters.
• Society of Professional Journalists website, covers the news part of the broadcast journalism field in depth.