To succeed on the air, you need to learn this, and
to learn the same kind of skills performers in other media learn to please the
audience and to come across as a good, likable character on the air.
Good
on-air journalists know that the goal is not to go on the air and to be
themselves. To succeed on the air, you need to play the part of a news anchor
or television journalist.
So what is this character you are being asked to
play? The television newsperson is as well-known as Mickey Mouse in our
society. Put into simplest terms, the broadcast journalist is:
CONFIDENT: A
newsman fears nothing. Most people are terrified of going on television; a
broadcaster clearly doesn’t give it a second thought. This strong courage in
the face of something most of us fear is one of the main reasons we admire
performers of all kinds. A broadcaster smiles in a situation in which most of
us would run in terror.
COMPETENT: A
broadcast journalist knows what he or she is talking about. He/she understands
the things being discussed on the show, knows how to handle problems on the air
without blinking, and is completely comfortable handling all the challenges of
being on television.
HAPPY AND ATTRACTIVE: A broadcast journalist has a good attitude. He or
she makes an effort to look his best on the air and is very comfortable being
there.
TRUSTWORTHY:
A television newsperson is someone we believe in. We trust them to have done a
good job of researching and writing the information they are telling us. A TV
newsperson thinks the things he/ she is telling us are important and keeps us
informed of the things we need to know.