News Coach: Being a Terrific Anchor
By Joanne Stevens
I admit I could write volumes about anchoring. But hopefully these
initial salvos (see Part
1 of this series on preparing for the role, and Part
2 on specific techniques) will set some heads straight and add further
clarity to an often misunderstood role in video journalism. With this said,
let's dig even deeper than the first two parts: It's NOT about you. Rather, it’s about us. Whom do you imagine to be
listening to you? Let's presume it's people who want their news, or perhaps
of greater importance, they've taken note of you and you've pulled them in.
They will look for you again.
If you're doing your job well, your EYES are also ’speaking’ to us. In fact,
some of us think your eyes are saying something along the lines of, "Pinch
me! Who thought I’d be sitting here speaking directly to you for an hour
instead of just 13 seconds in a standup?" And, "I know you care about
keeping your family smart and safe, so this is a news story that my team and
I believe you should know." It's all about intimacy. You are talking to one
person at a time. Ad Libbing You may go for weeks and weeks without uttering a single ad-lib. That's
fine! It is not a regular part of your job. Some of us are more facile with
spontaneity. Some of you may be funny. Some may be more sensitive, i.e. "a
tough hardship for so many.” But remember that if you are connecting and
not 'performing,' your eyes and your natural speaking tone naturally
supplant the need for added words. Never ever feel the need to say
something. There is no professional obligation and invariably it will sound
forced. Except in breaking news, anchoring is not a test of your improv
skills. Fillers Confession: Added phrases like 'of course,' or ' as you know,' drive me
crazy. You're supposed to be telling me new things. If I'm new in town and
you tell me that, "Stop and Shop is, of course, suffering economically," now
I feel stupid or like a local interloper if I didn’t know this. There's always someone out there who can learn something that you think
is obvious. And there are others who secretly enjoy corroborating their
knowledge. Sometimes fillers come from a false assumption or
superciliousness. Avoid the urge. Pronunciation pronunciation pronunciation! Don't want to lose face? Your antennae should be madly quivering at all
times, particularly if you're a new import. You represent your region and
your station. One mispronounced proper name, street, or town, and I'll
resent your presence in the seat that I trust. Keep a personal list going.
Ask colleagues, new local friends, and anyone you find yourself chatting
with how certain local names are pronounced. If something is tough for you
to say, that's okay. You can slow it down and do your best. We appreciate
that you're trying and not pretending you can speed through it -yet- like a
local. If your challenge is a word such as short-lived (pronounced with a long
"I" as in "live," like "five") or harassment (it's HAR-uhs-munt),
make sure you politely thank your critics for their feedback, and share that
you were using the pronunciation recommended by [your dictionary source].
You're 99.9% sure about the pronunciation of something? Not good enough! Finally for those of you who are new anchors in town: You have a
daunting learning curve I'd read archives of local newspapers to give yourself an
intellectual/historical perspective as you speak. Keep your foot in
reporting. Introduce yourself to your constituency at events, in supermarket
chats, and hand out your business cards like candy. Anchoring: It’s a big responsibility. Keep it genuine. See you on the set! Joanne Stevens News consultant Joanne Stevens has written extensively about broadcast
writing, reporting and anchoring, including columns in the former print version
of RTDNA's Communicator Magazine, and earlier versions of the RTDNA website. She
has taught at Columbia and New York University and serves as a news award judge
for the New York Press Club. She has returned to RTDNA.org to offer a new series
of News Coach columns with tips, best practices and more. - Click on
the RTDNA logo below to learn more.
