Career AS A TV News Anchor
TV news anchor positions combine journalism and entertainment. These jobs are very high-profile, as news anchors become the "face" of the TV station they represent. In addition to delivering the news on live television broadcasts, many news anchors also offer commentary, go on location to research news stories or conduct interviews, and write the copy they read on the air.
Educational Requirements
Students who hope to obtain news anchor jobs usually pursue an undergraduate degree in communications or journalism. Typical courses of study include journalism, mass media, ethics and various other humanities and liberal arts classes. Television stations in large metropolitan areas may prefer news reporters who have specialized degrees in subjects like business, political science or economics. News anchors should also enroll in voice training, as they must learn to modulate their voices and reduce or eliminate accents so they can be easily understood by their viewership.
Job Prospects
Recent college graduates are very rarely offered a news anchor position. Most start out as interns or entry-level news reporters, then work their way up to a newscaster position and, finally, to the prestigious anchor position. It is common for news reporters, newscasters and anchors to start out working for broadcasters in smaller markets, gradually working their way up to TV stations in larger metropolitan areas.
Newscasters at larger television stations often specialize in one branch of news, such as community affairs, weather or sports. Similarly, news anchors usually specialize in fields such as local politics, health, consumer affairs or business.
It is important to be patient for making it to big places in this industry. Perseverance is also vital. It is a tough and a very demanding profession.