News Reporter / Anchor

The most important responsibility facing the News Reporter and the broadcast industry is to inform the public. This is both the industry's greatest challenge and its greatest opportunity.

Fortunately, the radio News Reporter enjoys tremendous advantages over any other form of media, and those advantages are speed and mobility. In the very competitive world of news, radio can put a breaking story on-the-air more quickly than any other source. As a result, radio has been an instant and reliable news source for over 70 years. People know that radio is the first place to turn for up-to-the-minute news about occurrences locally or around the world. In addition, more people claim to get their first news of the day from radio than from any other source.

What makes a newsperson? According to a recent survey, the qualities that most appeal to news directors are enthusiasm, aggressiveness, energy, and inquisitiveness. They want someone with a strong instinctive "news sense," someone who wants to eat, drink and sleep news, someone who can get the story and get it right.

Unlike a print journalist, a radio newsperson must also be a performer. In addition to good writing and news-gathering skills, the newsperson in radio must also possess announcing abilities and be capable of presenting the story on-the-air.

Entry-level news positions pay modestly, while newspeople at metro market stations earn very impressive incomes. With experience come the better paying jobs, and many eventually move on to television news. Also, a job applicant who is knowledgeable about the area in which a station operates has a major advantage over someone who is not.

While education is important, most news directors still look for experience first. However, the aspiring newsperson is faced with a Catch-22 situation, in which a job cannot be found without experience and experience is hard to get without a job. NBTN apprentices have enjoyed a high level of success in breaking into the news business because they get that all-important training and real-world experience. They learn in real operating radio newsrooms, often from the News Director who hires new newspeople.

Broadcasters Training Network has hundreds of member instructors who are current, working radio newspeople, who may be interested in training you!

Take the first step, contact NBTN for more information about news radio apprenticeships now available in your city or town.