How to Become a TV Reporter

News Truck

To work as a television reporter, you first need to assemble a reel. You can do this through broadcast courses in high school or college. Some schools now have their own on-campus television stations. Another venue to consider is the Associated Press Radio and Television Academy held annually in Malibu, California. It's overseen by Hal Eisner the Past President of the AP Television and Radio Association of California and Nevada, who is a reporter for Fox 11 News and KCOP Television. Hal does a remarkable job in pulling together a weekend that begins with an exciting, staged breaking news story and ends with its editing. If you participate, say hello. I expect to teach there again this year.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Find an internship at a local television station. This is not like the play "Applause." As an intern you won't suddenly be called in to replace a reporter in the field if she keels over with a heart attack. However, you will gain valuable experience from working as a production assistant, tracing the evolution of a story from field reporting to final editing. You'll also get to watch the pressures of live coverage. Ask to observe and help with every aspect of the operation. Be eager, but not overtly ambitious and pushy.

2. Be prepared to start in a small market. Just because you've always wanted to move to LA or New York does not mean you'll begin there. In a miniscule market, you'll learn how to do more, and your mistakes won't be seen by as many people. Keep your expenses low, because your income will correspond with market ranking.

3. Dress appropriately for the scene. If you are covering a gathering of city bigwigs, wear business attire, clothing that would be out of place if you are shooting a disaster. Always be well groomed. Wear comfortable shoes. They will never show on camera.

4. Write clearly, succinctly and effectively. Be conversational, but pay attention to grammar. There is nothing wrong with speaking in complete sentences. Recently, I shot a story with a reporter who teased it with "Animal control in the dog house. More at 9:00." Is that how you'd speak to your friends? "Hard day at school. Exam results Monday." Use vivid words with active verbs. Find the telling detail in a story, relating the intimate personal coverage at which television excels to the larger picture. If you are doing a story about foreclosures, focus on a single family's plight before expanding it to the extent of the national crisis.

5. Do your homework. Google is an amazing tool. Before you interview a subject, learn about her background. The best interviews are when you burrow below the surface and gather genuine insight. The other day, I finally talked with William Bratton, the Police Chief of Los Angeles. I grabbed his attention by explaining that like him I was born in Boston, then moved to New York followed by LA. In less than a minute, we learned that we grew up in the same neighborhood a couple of miles from each other. Empathy is a great point of departure for on camera conversation. Look into the history of an event if you are sent to cover one. If it's an annual, scan through your station's coverage the previous year, to see what can be done better. Read all the press material before you arrive so that you can get a sense as to where you story might ultimately go. Don't impose your preconceptions on what will ultimately happen, however.

6. Here some technical notes for you to remember: When you interview somebody, be sure to stand or sit as close to the lens as possible, so that you're not getting your subject's profile in the camera. Direct the subject's attention to you, not the lens. I've relaxed nervous interviewees by telling them to speak directly to me and ignore the camera. If you are holding a hand held microphone, use it to control the conversation. Moving the mic between you and your subject will give you natural breaks to use in editing. Keep a consistent distance between your mouth and mic and that of your interviewee so that the audio's volume doesn't fluctuate. Don't move your hand on the mic while you are shooting because the noise will be picked up and recorder. Make sure that your cameraman gets plenty of B roll for editing, i.e. the cutaways that will help you tell your story.

7. Treat your cameraman with respect. Shooting is a tough job. Most news teams today consist of a reporter and cameraman, who is responsible for all of the myriad technical details essential to tell the story. Most importantly, you don't want to get on his bad side, because he's the one who makes you look good. Remember that you are only carrying a microphone and notebook. He is schlepping a camera, tripod, headphones, batteries and tapes. He's probably doing your driving as well, so make sure that you have clear and easy to follow directions including where to park and what equipment could be necessary, such as supplemental lighting if you know that the location will be dim. Even if you are impatient with speed of his set up, don't show it. The more complex the shot, the longer it will take to execute. Don't embarrass him by questioning his decisions in front of others. He could be wrestling with a technical detail that could sink your report if left unfixed. Be aware of meal requirements. Let him take the breaks to which he is legally entitled. Always introduce him to an interview subject as part of your team. At the end of an interview after asking your subject if she'd like to add anything, ask the cameraman if he has a question. You might have overlooked something. Always hold doors open for him. Take elevators instead of escalators or stairs. At the end of long day, offer to carry your cameraman's tripod. If you do it all the time, he'll grow to expect it, but if you help out when he's tired, your kindness will be greatly appreciated. If while reviewing your tapes you see a place where his work can be improved, suggest it to him so he can do better. Finally, at the end of the day, thank him with your winning on camera smile.

Tips & Warnings

• For more on making it in TV news, see my other posting "How to Anchor on Television

Resources

• Video Introduction to APTRA
• Click here to sign up for APTRA.
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