Reporting on Local Television News Since 1981

Television Career Strategies

Here is information you can use if you are interested in a career in television and radio communications.

The first thing we think you should consider is the trend that you can see in the following table. It takes fewer people to produce a typical local news story today.

How many people does it take to cover a news story for television? Depending on the city and the stations, you might slightly change the chart, but the basic lesson is unchanged.

Secure jobs in television have been collapsing. Daily newspaper circulation is stagnant or falling. Radio news is nothing like it once was.

Former TV anchor explains why he chose to become a former anchor
It isn't easy to have a long television career supporting a full family life.    A man who was successful at the anchor desk shared with us the reasons he decided to leave television news after nearly a decade in the business.

News Directors want people with a good attitude who can write and work hard
The Society of Professional Journalists surveyed News Directors to see what qualities they were looking for in new hires. The executives said they wanted people who could write simple, clear sentences in the active voice.
If you are seriously thinking about a career in broadcast news, review the summary of this survey.

First step into broadcasting is an internship
For the practical experience and the personal contacts, a student must gain an internship at a professional station.  Here are some examples of what internships can offer:  CBS News  KTVU - Oakland

Dominant For A Decade:
Secrets of Success of Longtime, Top-rated Anchors
Top news managers and anchors explained what it takes to serve the public year after year. "People watch people. They don't watch helicopters or satellites," said Jim Boyer, News Director of WWL-TV, New Orleans. (1985)

Job Reassignment Can Be A Big Opportunity 
Producer Don Hewitt may not have been thrilled about his dismissal from the "CBS Evening News,"  but  the break allowed him to concentrate on a new project that would change the television landscape.

Within a year, Hewitt, Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner launched "60 Minutes," which went on to become the longest running show in
primetime television history.

Concerned broadcasters identify ten necessary skills
During a forum at the Poynter Institute, participants discussed newsroom competency and the skills needed to survive in modern television and radio.

Employment Trends
Vernon Stone, Professor Emeritus at the Missouri School of Journalism, has documented the realities of broadcast newsroom employment opportunities for more than two decades.

College students must be ready to do the job.
Television News Directors are most inclined to hire an entry level person who has attended a college that features a "hands on" approach to learning communications techniques.

TV and Radio News Careers: Pros and Cons
There are no guarantees, despite your talent and hard work.

Professor Stone offers many other valuable insights and studies.

How Not To Get A Producing Job
News executives recount how they have gotten tapes, resumes and applications that are less than impressive. First, make sure you use the correct the names of the executive and the station where you are applying. This appeared in The Producer newsletter online.

Your Online Personality Can Kill Your Job Chances
Online publishing columnist Steve Outing says media executives are searching the web to learn about potential employees. They may find more than your official bios and edited stories. They could turn up posts to discussion groups, lists, etc.

Online Columnist to Journalism Students:
Consider A Career In New Media
Steve Outing  returned to the school where he graduated in the late 1970's, Colorado State.  At a workshop, he urged students to consider the possibilities of a career online.
He argued the new media has fewer barriers to advancement.  A young person can potentially move forward quickly.  "It's not that I think print work is boring — far from it. But online news work is truly exciting because at this stage of the game, online news practitioners are still making up the rules as they go along," he says.  He summarized his advice in his online column.

Review microwave live shot safety guidelines at engsafety.com
In the rush to get the news on television, a person can forget to make sure the location is a safe place to put up the microwave mast. Mark Bell explained this in Television Broadcast.  

Good voice health is critical
A healthy voice is important for anyone who is announcing. Here is advice from an expert at the University of Michigan.

TV Job Openings
Here are links to listings of available jobs.

Collapse of Collier's Magazine:
Advertisers Switched to Television

An economic research group specializing in media, the Myers Group, is projecting that advertising spent online will exceed $30 billion in 2005.  And, they estimate that the broadcast networks will draw $19 billion.  

Theodore White explained what it was like when America's general audience magazines collapsed in the 1950s. 
They had had many readers for years. Advertisers had found them an effective vehicle to reach the mass national audience.   However, television set sales exploded in the early 50s, and it wasn't long before many advertising dollars shifted to a medium that was perceived as more effective in motivating consumers and stimulating sales.

The Death of Print
The future of communication: "We will look back on print media the way we look back on travel by horse and carriage, or by wind-powered ship."  This was the view of Dan Okrent, a Time