Things You'll Need:
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Step 1
Prepping for a newscast is the most important thing. Pre-reading is essential to making listeners stick around and make you sound like you know what you're talking about. Make sure you know how to pronounce all words and names in the news stories. If you don't, find someone either in the news department or elsewhere that knows how. Mispronouncing names is the worst thing you could do on the air. Writing pronouncers in the stories can ensure you'll say them right.
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Step 2
Going on the air and sounding professional is the next step. To do this, practice makes perfect. Reading in front of a mirror can help you. Reading hard news stories need a different tone of voice than softer stories. Deciding on a tone for each story takes practice.
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Step 3
The next thing you need to know is how to play back soundbytes that are within the stories. Each station is different, so make sure you ask how they are played and who's responsibility it is to play them during the newscast.
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Step 4
When the news director thinks you're ready, you'll go on the air. Getting a pair of headphones for this is important. Headphones help you hear yourself and anyone else who is talking during the newscast. They will also help block out outside noise. When you're on the air delivering news, the stories should each be no longer then 30 seconds. This will help keep the listeners attention.; any longer and you may risk losing a listener. The important part about radio is to deliver it in a tone that will catch the listeners attention and read sentences that will bring the listener in. Radio doesn't have pictures or isn't right in front of a person, so keep that in mind while you're delivering the news and keep it short, sweet and to the point.
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Step 5
The final thing is to loosen up and have fun. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes during newscasts and stumbles on words or mispronounces some things. Just move on. Don't dwell on the mistake as sometimes people won't even know you made the mistake.
