WUFT Political Anchor: What I've learned so far

If you've read my blog then by now you may know that I love making lists and giving advice. This is not because I feel that I am a know it all, but it's because I tend to learn a lot from doing (and even more from hindsight). I hope to share the things I learn and the mistakes I’ve made, not as a way to tell you what to do, but to show you what I’ve learned/am learning. This blog is for me too! I hope to look back in a few years and re-watch some of my "old work"/the things I went through/learned to see if I have been practicing what I've been preaching. All rambling aside this post will be about anchoring/on-air presence and what I've learned about it.

Having been a Political Anchor for WUFT News for a little over a semester now (and a WUFT News reporter for over a year), there are a few tips I have to give about Live TV and being on air:

1) Nervousness. It's okay to be nervous. I once had a teacher tell my class that if you aren't a little nervous before every broadcast, then you don't care enough. While I think this may be a teensy bit extreme, I will say that being a little nervous is okay (even good sometimes). This is because it does make you care about what you're doing and that's good. But, don't let your nervousness overtake you. If you're shaking like a leaf, then you won't give a solid delivery. People want to see confidence in the person who's giving them their news; this helps to build trust and rapport with the viewer.

2) Cold Reads. DON'T DO IT. This is when the first time you're reading a story is live on air. I repeat, DON'T DO IT. Now, I recognize this is not always possible to avoid. There may be breaking news or some last minute changes, so obviously you may have to read some things cold. But if it's within your power to read your script before the show, do so! Please don't think that because you can read and speak properly that you will be fine. NO! There may be words you don't know how to pronounce, tricky strings of words that may trip you up and numbers. There may also be words that need to be emphasized or paused before/after and you won't give as great of a delivery if it's your first time reading it. Once you're a veteran journalist, then it's up to you, but for now, READ IT!

4) Resting Face. A journalist from CNN who attended the FAMU Multimedia Short Course with me (see my last post) talked about "resting faces." It's what your face looks like when you’re listening to someone else talk or just relaxing/not doing anything. Depending on how your face looks in that moment, people could misinterpret it. I know this is something I struggle with. My resting face looks pissed off. So sometimes on air I look ready to fight and the story is happy or just neutral. My goal for the rest of the semester is to work on looking more pleasant and less ready for battle.

5) Voice/Pace. A lot of students, including myself, struggle to find their "on air voice." I can't tell you how much I cringe when I hear a journalist put on a weird voice to read the news. But for some people it works. During my Summer 2013 internship with CNN, I worked with Suzanne Malveaux. She told me that as a woman you do want to find the "bass in your voice" so as not to sound like a higher pitched and thus, younger girl, but as someone of authority. However, she also said you shouldn't really change my voice. Think about it, how strange would be if I spoke with a deep voice like Toni Braxton or Sade and then in real life used my real voice (hint: my real voice is NOT close to that deep)? If a viewer met me in Publix they'd be really confused. So, I don't plan on changing my voice. I think that if I speak slowly (which inadvertently causes me to lower my voice a bit), I’ll be fine. But hey, that's what works for me; everyone's got to find his or her own sound.

I upload most of my WUFT Political broadcasts to my YouTube channel, so feel free to check them out and tell me what you think.