Passionate about the news, great at writing it, presenting it, dissecting
it. It’s still the same old story, a tale of truth and glory. What’s
new is that the audience has less time for phonies and time wasters.
Journalist first, personality second. While
journalism is No. 1, personality comes right behind. There’s a reason that lots
of great print journalists fizzle out when they go on television. You need to
express who you are not just in what you write, but how you connect.
Anchors need to do more than embrace social media. They need to hug it and kiss it and make it their own. The
days of having to push an anchor into tweeting or being active on Facebook are
long past. That’s the new price of admission if you want to work for a
multi-platform TV station.
What is the value-add? It’s not
enough to sit in the studio twice a day. Is the anchor an investigative
reporter? Does she have a high-profile beat? Riding the community service
luncheon circuit doesn’t constitute a value-add. Anchors need to be
rooted into communities, and reflect those communities. There’s a need for
multi-talented people, for whom anchoring the news is one of many talents is
they bring to the position.
If an anchor isn’t a newsroom leader, they don’t deserve to be
leading a newscast. Anchors still make
considerably more money than virtually anyone else in the TV station. To earn
that money, they need to be demonstrated leaders, daily, but certainly in times
of crisis. They need to mentor young producers and reporters, work closely with
the news director on direction and projects.
Anchors need to embrace—and lead—change. They are not the anchors of 20 years ago; not even five
years ago. They must understand that the daily TV newscast is shrinking in
importance, while other platforms are exponentially increasing. They must be
able to have ideas, write those ideas, and communicate those ideas every day in
multiple ways. The one-trick-pony has been consigned to the glue factory!
Good human beings needed.
All of the obituaries on David Goldberg, Sheryl Sandberg’s late husband,
referred to how he was a mensch — a good human being. Now more than ever, as
business is more fragmented, and hiring gets tougher, the anchor must be a good
human being, an integral member of the team who pushes for the common good. Of
course, that holds true for everybody in the station.
What to Wear On TV | Dressing Up For
The Video Camera
It is important to pay attention to what news anchors wear.
People who successfully make their living in front of a TV video camera will
almost always dress appropriately for the camera.
More often than not these men and women have wardrobe
professionals telling them what to wear.
If you’d rather look for another icon to imitate, consider a person
you thought was sharp dressed in a recent movie – assuming the film wasn’t set
100 years ago, there’s a good chance what the actor is wearing will work well
on camera.
Just make sure you match the level of your clothing’s
formality with the occasion you’re being invited to be filmed for.
If all else fails, think soft solid colors.
Comfort is very important. Do NOT wear heavy fabrics like
wool and wool-flannel. The lights are hot and your body language is just as
important as the words you speak.
Sweating, adjusting, shifting are not desirable activities
when in front of the camera; therefore think “breathable” and “light”.
Cotton is breathable and allows for your body to radiate heat
much more effectively than if you would wear wool. Wear a suit to the best of
your ability in the color and patterns suggested above.
If you sweat a lot, then consider just wearing a cool cotton dress.
Useful Tip: Wearing just a dress while sweating will greatly
increase the chances of the camera showing your sweaty armpits and spots where
your beaded sweat made contact with the dress. Wear a performance undershirt in
a light gray or white. These undershirts work to keep your body cool and to
absorb sweat.
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