Basic TV Reporting, 2nd Edition

What a Reporter Does

Few of those who aspire to careers as television reporters have more than a vague notion of exactly what the job entails. The evidence is there on the screen 24 hours a day — but how reporters function, where their responsibilities begin and end, and how they link into the editorial chain is not so obvious. The public may also be forgiven for confusing the role of the reporter with that of anchor/newscaster or presenter, because the duties sometimes overlap. Reporting may indeed be seen as a natural stepping-stone to the safety and warmth of the studio, but once installed as part of the news-processing as opposed to news-gathering team, reporters are usually less originators of their own material than shapers of other people’s. ...