Career as a TV News Anchor

Updated On: 12-Feb-2023

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News channels are the best way today to know about all the events happening around the world, local, national or international. The person who presents or reads the news on a news program is called News Anchor or News Reader.

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The News Anchor is a journalist whose main job is to present the news to the audience in a news program, interview the guest or host a news show. Sometimes, they also need to go out to cover the events and gather information depending on the media house they are working with. Like on local news channels or small media houses, the News Anchor may have to go out to gather news stories, write them, and then present them, but in big media houses, their job is basically inside the studio only.

One can also choose to become specialized in any particular news field like sports, crime, weather forecast reading, hosting debate shows, etc.

Job and Responsibilities of a News Anchor:

Study and understanding the news events they need to present
Analyzing and edit the news if needed to make them more effective and accurate
Work closely with the producer to get briefed and understand the news story
Gathering the news stories or information
Stay up to date with the latest news around the world

A degree (Bachelor or Master) in Media and mass communication is must to make a career in this field. After that one can also choose to do any specified course from a reputed institute.

The path to become a News Anchor is:

Get a degree in Media and Mass Communication as most of the TV channels prefer a degree holder with at least a bachelor's degree in journalism. You can consider a Master's degree in journalism also for better opportunities.
While studying, join the college newspaper to gain experience with writing stories, etc.
After studying, before applying for the job, get some internship experience at any local paper or news channel for a better understanding and real experience
Sharpen the required skills like writing, speaking, camera facing, etc. with relevant courses.
Create resume and start applying for jobs

You must have the following skills to become a TV News Anchor:

Comfortable and confident in front of camera
A news anchor must have strong communication skills especially speaking skills as most of the time they need to read the news and they should read them clearly and in a way that the audience can understand well and attached them with the anchor.
Good decision making skills
Quick thinking and execution skills as sometimes they won't get everything in writing, especially in case of breaking news, in that case, they just need to hear the producer or the person who briefed them and present the news.
They should have excellent general knowledge in different areas like either national or international, political issues, etc.
Strong debating skills are also required, especially for those who want to host the debate shows.
Strong analytical skills
Ability to prioritize information

This is professional is a perfect for those:

Who has a passion for journalism
Who likes to take challenges
Who ready to travel at different location for news collection
Who has the skills to handle the pressure
Ready to work 24X7

Work hours or timing are not fixed in this industry. You have to be ready whenever is the requirement, on weekends, public holidays, night shift, and early morning.The salary of a News Anchor depends on the experience. A beginner can earn around Rs. 20,000 to 25,000 and it'll increase with experience.

The average salary for a News Anchor is Rs 336,499 per year. (payscale)The media and mass communication industry are growing in India, so the career options in this field. One can get a job on TV news channels, radio channels or internet channels also.Pros