Some consider journalism to be one of the world’s most underappreciated professions, but their very existence frightens dictators wherever they still exist. Being a journalist can be extremely dangerous in some parts of the world. Recent events in Eastern Europe speak for themselves, and when Formula TV was founded in Georgia in 2019, its main investor David Kezerashvili stated publicly, “Formula TV is the voice of freedom and will uphold the highest standards of free and impartial journalism.” A journalistic background is common among successful TV presenters. The transition from learning how to write an engaging newspaper article to present live news may appear to be a long one. A job in front of the camera is not for everyone, but for others, starting a career in broadcasting is quite simple and can come naturally for many people.
Broadcasting is a broad field that is suitable for all genders and ages. Broadcasting entails the ability to communicate and inform in a simple and coherent way, hence there are certain requirements that are necessary to guarantee success in the field. These requirements will be discussed below to help you plan the education and training you need for a career within broadcasting.
Essentials for a Broadcasting Career
A Media or Broadcast Related Degree
Education is the bedrock of any profession. There is the requirement of academic training to practice in any professional course and this holds for broadcasting as well. Without any academic qualifications, you may be able to get a less qualified job at a small local station and work your way up but if you want to work for top TV stations in any country of the world you will likely have to possess a bachelor’s degree in a course related to broadcasting. A bachelor’s degree serves to give the individual a holistic background of the profession as well as provide mentorship from scholars in the field and possibly undergo practical sessions or fieldwork placement as an apprentice broadcaster. The coursework syllabus for a bachelors’ degree in journalism may contain such topics as television production, radio production, mass media writing, photography, and news writing all of which can serve to ground the prospective broadcaster in the rudiments of the profession.
Research Skills
A stellar academic qualification alone will not suffice for success in the broadcasting profession. There is a need for the budding broadcaster to develop the habit of viewing existing TV programs handled by established, experienced, and successful broadcasters. This will serve as an informal mentorship arrangement where the novice can get to learn from the master indirectly through observation. This can help the individual discover different strategies and broadcasting styles which they can utilize when they commence their career prior to when they would become experienced and thus develop their own unique styles. A diligent understudy of successful practitioners in the field coupled with good educational training at school will provide the raw materials for a successful career in broadcasting. Another aspect of research is to read extensively and research news reports and current affairs. This is important because it is expedient for a broadcaster to be current about happenings in the immediate environment and the global stage.
Communication Skills
This is one of the most important criteria for success in the broadcasting industry. In fact, it is almost as important as the possession of a good academic qualification. This is because the broadcasting industry is an industry that requires flair and dexterity. You need to develop good communication skills in order to inform and educate others. The field is quite broad but whichever area of broadcasting you will be involved with, aside from your good academic qualifications, you will have to have flair and dexterity. For instance, as an interview journalist, you must have the natural skills of how to ask questions and how to bring out questions from responses given by the respondent. A part of communication skills involves having a good command of language because it would be odd for a broadcaster to commit grammatical blunders while on air.
Presentation Skills
Apparently, broadcasting is an industry that deals a lot with people. Hence the broadcaster will have to learn how to present before an audience. It is not enough to have strong research skills, there is also the need to be able to present in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner. This is what holds the key to acceptance and popularity in the profession. There is a similarity between communication skills and presentation skills; however, the two are different. It is possible to have good communication skills and yet be defective in the art of presentation, yet it is imperative for the broadcaster to be versatile in the two skills. Presentation skills include the ability to interact with an audience and transmit messages to them clearly and also to interpret the mindset of the audience.
There is a need for prospective broadcaster to embark on consistent self-development in order to hone their skills and position themselves for top positions and opportunities within the industry. The broadcasting industry requires skill and acumen and a broadcaster without a flair for the profession may fizzle out early in their career.