OJR: The Online Journalism Review

News anchors: Where do they come from?

What kind of background do most news anchors have before they do on camera? I know what types of degrees are preferred, but what types of previous (news) work experience?

Submitted by Chet McMaster

Posted: 2007-03-18

What type of work do most news anchors do before they actually go in front of the camera? I understand that they're supposed to command certain personal qualities and likely have at least some prior experience on tape - even if it is only from a "dummy" broadcast. But what job titles and duties are most young anchors carrying before they are asked to represent the team as a reporter or anchor on-camera?

Responses:

From Cameron Jackson on March 27, 2007 at 6:52 PM

In our newsroom in Australia the Anchor/Presenter is just a 'glorified journalist'. Most of the journalists in the newsroom are trained to read the news. We record their efforts and then then news director is able to review it and choose the person they feel is right for the job.
We look for a strong presence and a good broadcast voice.
But, like I said. In almost all occasions you begin as a little journalist so you learn to walk before you try to fly.

From Jeff Shrewsbury on March 27, 2007 at 9:31 PM

First and foremost, you must know how to keep your hair perfectly moussed at all times and which pancake makeup will cause your face to break out. If you're a woman, it's important to stay incredibly thin and learn which blouses to wear that will show just enough cleavage to be noticed but not enough to be NOTICED.

You must know how to read, of course, but more importantly you must be able to repeat what someone is telling you to say in your ear piece while at the same time reading the teleprompter script that was taken from what the newspapers reported that morning. Oh, and learn how to say "in this exclusive report" without giggling.

Other than that, there's no real trick to getting to the coveted anchor position. Just focus on celebrity gossip, car wrecks (if you have video) and any crime report in which police release a mugshot and you'll be there in no time.